Ladies and the triple Axel | Page 4 | Golden Skate

Ladies and the triple Axel

TripleAxelQueens3

sasha trusova is superior
Final Flight
Joined
Apr 17, 2018
Lots of triple Axels from the ladies in the past few years!

Who do you think does the best one now?

While Midori Ito still stands in a league of her own, Rika Kihira is pretty high up there for me. The interesting thing about Rika is she doesn’t telegraph her entrance as much as some of the other ladies (Liza Tuktamysheva, Mirai Nagasu), which gives the jump more of an “effortless” look.
 

oatmella

陈巍
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 23, 2014
Lots of triple Axels from the ladies in the past few years!

Who do you think does the best one now?

Liza!

Even if she telegraphs her entrance more than Rika, love the quality of her 3A - and they still look quite effortless. Rika's is great too.

We might be seeing more 3A from the ladies next season. Liza recently said that at SOI Japan, Satoko was practicing 3A - and maybe Kaori as well. Elizabet is training 3A, and supposedly the 3A's will be working on it as well.
 

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
Liza!

Even if she telegraphs her entrance more than Rika, love the quality of her 3A - and they still look quite effortless. Rika's is great too.

I think Liza and Rika both have great 3As, but Liza's does look more effortless to me. Midori's is the best for me on any measure, but I'd rank Liza and Rika probably 2nd and 3rd on the list. Tonya's was often pretty wild on the landing, and Mao's usually lacked the effortlessness on the jump later in her career.
 

maggieanne

Rinkside
Joined
May 25, 2018
Country
United-States
It’s between Liza and Rika for me, but I think Rika just edges Liza out. Hers seems more effortless, though Liza’s does seem bigger. But, tbh I haven’t seen them side by side.
 

TA91

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 29, 2018
The triple axels of the the 90's will always be my favorites. The power and height that Midori and Tonya had still seems to be unmatched to this day. And when one puts it into context, especially when you think about the fact that the resources of today were not available and doing it at a time of very low tech content for women makes them even more unique.

Although if Alena Kostornaya stabilizes hers, she will move up on my list.
 

nussnacker

one and only
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 16, 2019
Liza has a better axel technique, just like all of her jumps, it’s textbook perfection. Can’t say the same about Rika’s.
On the other hand, Rika doesn’t set up as long for hers, and thus to naked eye it seems more pleasing in general.
Nevertheless, Liza over Rika anyday, she’s the true empress ;)
 

Lunalovesskating

Moonbear power 🐻
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 3, 2018
Midori Ito's 3A will always have a special place in my heart :D

For today's skaters I prefer Rika's. It looks more effortless and has a shorter preparation time, thus for me it is aesthetically more pleasing. I also prefer her landing of the jump
 

Edwin

СделаноВХрустальном!
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 5, 2019
Ladies and the Triksel (Triple Axel)

No, not some kind of derivation from Rubik's Cube, but about the performance of a figure skating element.

Wikipedia defines it like this:

"The Axel is an edge jump, which means that the skater must spring into the air from bent knees. It is the oldest but most difficult figure skating jump. The Axel has three phases: the entrance phase (which ends with the takeoff), the flight phase, when the skater rotates in the air, and the landing phase, which begins when the skater's blade hits the ice and ends when she "is safely skating backwards on the full outside edge with one leg behind in the air".
The most important parts of the entrance phase is the transition phase (also called the pre-takeoff phase) and the takeoff itself. It has a forward takeoff, approached with a series of backward crossovers in either the opposite or the same direction to the jump's rotation, followed by a step forward onto the forward outside takeoff edge.

The skater must also approach the jump from the left forward inside edge of her skate, enabling the skater to step forward. The skater then kicks through with her free leg, helping her to jump into the air. The skater must land on the right back inside edge of her skate. The change in foot required to complete the Axel means that the skater must transfer her center of gravity, from the left side of her body to the right side, while rotating in the air so that she is in the correct position to land. As a result, the Axel has half an extra rotation, which makes a triple axel more a quadruple jump than a triple.
The single Axel consists of one-and-a-half revolutions, the double axel consists of two-and-half rotations, and the triple axel consists of three-and-a-half rotations.

"It takes incredible strength and body control for a skater to get enough height and to get into the jump fast enough to complete all the rotations before landing with a strong enough base to absorb the force generated".
"Falling on the triple axel is really brutal".

10 female skaters so far have landed Triksels in competition. As of 2019, 10 women have successfully completed the triple Axel in competition, three in the 2018-2019 season: Russian skater Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, Japanese skater Rika Kihira, and American skater Alysa Liu.
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I will add that one girl, 12 year old Sof'ya Akat'yeva also landed a Triksel in September 2019 Moscow Open Championships.

Please discuss at libitum about the physical and mental dexterity needed to perform a Triksel, the technique, the wrap, the kick, the position of the head, the landing, the kick out, name the attempts and successes, just like in the quad jumps thread.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I was in the live audience at 2002 Skate America for the first competition where two different ladies landed a triple Axel, a full decade after Tonya Harding. Yukari Nakano and Ludmilla Nelidina went back to back, although neither medalled.

I couldn't really see very well because both jumps were performed in the opposite corner from where I was sitting.
 

jenaj

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Country
United-States
I have no idea why the triple axel is rare among ladies skaters. The quad is rare, too. My guess is that the triple axel is a scarier jump with the forward take-off. But that is just a guess. I love ladies skaters who can do triple axels.
 

SkateSkates

Medalist
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
The triple axel requires precise technique. Due to the forward entry, if it’s a little off you will completely slip off the edge and wipe out. It’s easier to power through a quad that is slightly off due to the entry. I think Nathan has said this before, but it would apply to the ladies as well
 

PekkaRink

Rinkside
Joined
Apr 28, 2018
Ontopic: Both Alyona and Sasha‘s 2A look so incredibly effortless. I guess it shows how complex mastering a 3A must be, at least I tend to think „come one, one more revolution, you have so much air time!!“ 🙂
 

nussnacker

one and only
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 16, 2019
Ontopic: Both Alyona and Sasha‘s 2A look so incredibly effortless. I guess it shows how complex mastering a 3A must be, at least I tend to think „come one, one more revolution, you have so much air time!!“ ��

Me too! I'm pretty sure Alexandra said she didn't have attempts with good landings, but it sounds like she manages to rotates it and land it somehow :) exciting, if she can get 3A, watch out world...
 

hanyuufan5

✨**:。*
Medalist
Joined
May 19, 2018
Wow, so much discord over the title. :popcorn:

My favorite 3A of the ladies is Rika's. Alysa's is a very close second, and given how young she is, could very well catch up.
 

Yuzuruu

the silent assassin
Medalist
Joined
Nov 21, 2017
Me too! I'm pretty sure Alexandra said she didn't have attempts with good landings, but it sounds like she manages to rotates it and land it somehow :) exciting, if she can get 3A, watch out world...

As far as I remember Sasha said she had some better attempts but in general she couldn't get it (I might remember it wrong though :)) and the fact that she can power through a 4T and a 4Lz and cannot get the 3A says it all. The technique and control required to complete a 3A is so precise, it cannot be muscled through. That's why imo the axel is in general the most difficult jump.

I presume Young You will be attempting 3A's in competitions this season.



Also, I do not like the 'trixel' abbreviation at all. Won't be using it.

Edit: Did some digging and Sasha was saying last year that before she started to work on quads, she was trying to learn 3A but it was not working at all. This year she said she will have the 3A ready for this upcoming season so we'll see soon I guess :)
 

readernick

Medalist
Joined
Dec 5, 2015
I love 3As. Men's and women's. It is probably my favorite jump. Historically, the most impressive women's 3A is, of course, Midori Ito's. Her speed, height, and power were amazing. Harding also had a powerful 3A. I loved the speed, efficiency and ease of Mao's 3A.

Among currently competing women, Rika's in my favorite because it covers the most distance and her speed in and out of the jump is unrivaled. When she lands it, it is beautiful. She also the only junior or senior lady to successfully land a 3A+3T.

Elizaveta's 3A is technically sound and very high. It is also a beautiful jump but it lacks the speed in and out that Rika's jump has. It also requires her more time to set up. However, it was slightly more consistent than Rika's last season.

Alysa's 3A is not a bad jump but she doesn't have Rika's speed, distance, and running edge and she also doesn't have Liza's height. She is still very young ( just turned 14) so I think it will become more impressive in the next few years.

Among ladies who have not landed it in competition, Aliona Kostornaya's 3A was the most stunning. I hope she is able to start competing it one day.
 

nussnacker

one and only
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 16, 2019
As far as I remember Sasha said she had some better attempts but in general she couldn't get it (I might remember it wrong though :)) and the fact that she can power through a 4T and a 4Lz and cannot get the 3A says it all. The technique and control required to complete a 3A is so precise, it cannot be muscled through. That's why imo the axel is in general the most difficult jump.
I presume Young You will be attempting 3A's in competitions this season.
Also, I do not like the 'trixel' abbreviation at all. Won't be using it.
Edit: Did some digging and Sasha was saying last year that before she started to work on quads, she was trying to learn 3A but it was not working at all. This year she said she will have the 3A ready for this upcoming season so we'll see soon I guess :)

Does Nathan power through his jumps? Because he always had problems with 3As. So did Shoma Uno by the way when he started learning quads and 3A, and look at his 3A now.
It's a stronger jump for some and harder for others, but it's not an ultra holy grail that tells whether you are jumping right or not :) Skaters're all different, you know.
3A is the most difficult jump for some skaters probably, but it's not THE most difficult jump of ALL jumps for ALL skaters.
 

Yuzuruu

the silent assassin
Medalist
Joined
Nov 21, 2017
Does Nathan power through his jumps? Because he always had problems with 3As. So did Shoma Uno by the way when he started learning quads and 3A, and look at his 3A now.
It's a stronger jump for some and harder for others, but it's not an ultra holy grail that tells whether you are jumping right or not :) Skaters're all different, you know.
3A is the most difficult jump for some skaters probably, but it's not THE most difficult jump of ALL jumps for ALL skaters.

Of course Nathan doesn't but I don't want to get into discussion about the quad technique of men and women because that's not what this thread is about :)

In my humble opinion historically the axel is the jump that gives skaters most trouble, Nathan being a prime example of it. But sure, I do agree that to some it comes easy and naturally like for Yuzuru or Michal Brzezina, and for some it's the worst nightmare like for Patrick Chan who has perfect technique on everything but the axel :)
I think Sasha could do it though, she has the height going for her so it can help her tons.
 
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