What are the six jumps in figure skating? Figure skating jumps explained

Described as one of the most artistic games ever, figure skating has some technicalities that might seem complicated to a non-fan. The skaters turn and jump spectacularly, with each jump having a designated name. Each type of jump comes with its points, with the most difficult one to perform having the most points. So, what are the six jumps in figure skating? Read on to find out.

Skaters can do jumps at any moment of their routine such as changing motion or turning. Some of these turns are very difficult and require skill and dedication to do them. Some of them are more common while others are very rare to be performed due to their complexity. They also give points to the athletes. How many different jumps are there in figure skating? Read on to learn more about these leaps.

What are the jumps in ice skating?

So, how many jumps are there in figure skating? There are six jumps in figure skating. The most common leaps are divided into the toe and edge jumps. In the toe category, the athlete uses the toe to launch themselves into the air, while in edge cases, the knee is the pivotal point. The toe jumps are the toe loop, the flip and the lutz. The edge jumps include the Salchow, loop and the Axel.

1. The Toe Loop

This jump gets the most points in a competition. It was brought about by Russian figure skater Maxim Kovtun. The jump starts from the back outside edge and lands on the same foot. A right-footed person would start with the right foot and land on the same foot, and vice versa for a left-footed person. Note that the jumper lands on his toes.

2. The Salchow

This jump involves starting the jump with one foot and landing on the other. It starts with the inside edge and landing on the edge of the opposite foot. For instance, if you start the jump on your right foot, you are to land on the left one and vice versa.

3. The Loop

The loop is an edge jump. It is a jump where the skater starts with his back outside edge and lands on the same foot in the same manner. It is the same as a toe loop but lacks the toes' reinforcement when starting.

4. The Flip

The flip starts with the back inside edge, and the skater lands on the opposite foot. It is a pick-assisted jump hence its similarity to the toe loop. So, if a skater starts with the right back inside edge, they will land on the left foot and vice versa.

5. The Lutz

So, what is the most difficult jump in figure skating? The Lutz is the most difficult. It differs from the flip on the edge the skater takes off from. The counterotatory form of the jump makes it difficult for most athletes but some try cheating their way into it. However, this only leads to landing on the opposite foot. The jump was first performed by 2010 Olympic gold medalist Kim Yu-Na.

6. The Axel

It is one of the coolest leaps on the list as it is the only one where the skater charges head first for takeoff. This makes it three and a half rotations long. Mao Asada is an expert at this and is honoured as one of the few women to attempt it. The athlete simply takes off with the forward outside edge and lands on the opposite foot.

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So, who has landed a quadruple axel? Ilia Malinin is the only athlete ever to land the much-revered jump. The 17-year-old made history on the 14th of September 2022. He landed a four-and-a-half spin which makes it impressive.

What are the different figure skating jumps?

What are the jumps in figure skating? There are six main types of figure skating, mainly the toe loop, the axel, the lutz, the loop, the flip and the salchow. The basic leaps in figure skating include toe and edge jumps. These are the primary categories on which all the other jumps are based.

What is the easiest jump in figure skating?

The Waltz jump is the easiest and most basic jump in the sport. It is mostly done by beginners and as a practice test for the axel. It only takes one-half of a rotation hence you face the opposite direction at the end of the jump.

So, what are the six jumps in figure skating? As we have seen, they are the axel, the lutz, the loop, the toe loop, the flip, and the salchow. The jumps have two main branches that are toe and knee jumps classified according to the origin of the jump’s energy. The leaps are very important and give the skaters important points, especially when executed well.

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