Shoma Uno targets quintuple jump in practice (2024)

FAQs

Can anyone do a quintuple jump? ›

Dozens of articles have explored these same physical considerations. Most come to the conclusion that the jump is possible, albeit extremely difficult. But even if skaters do attempt and land quints, there's a strong chance the jumps will have little impact on the sport and fans' enjoyment of it.

A quintuple axel may be physically possible, however, before quintuple jumps are given base values by the ISU, the long-term injury risk should be seriously considered, and this should be explored in future work. [1] Carpenter, L. (2022). U.S. figure skater Ilia Malinin lands first quad axel in competition.

That's when he decided to try the quadruple axel; his sport's hardest jump, a leap so terrifying that most skaters won't attempt it. Until Malinin, the sandy-haired 19-year-old American star from Vienna, Va, became the only person to land the jump two years ago, many skaters thought it would never be done.

Shoma Uno (宇野 昌磨, Uno Shōma, born 17 December 1997) is a retired Japanese figure skater. He is a three-time Olympic medalist (2018 silver, 2022 bronze, 2022 team silver), a two-time World champion (2022, 2023), and a two-time World silver medalist (2018, 2017).

The quadruple Axel is generally considered the most challenging jump because it requires a forward takeoff and four and a half rotations in the air. To date, no one of any gender has successfully completed a quad Axel in competition, although skaters such as Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu have tried.

Still the only athlete who has ever successfully executed the quad Axel in competition, Malinin's signature jump propelled him into the lead in Beijing, China, as he scored a new international personal best score of 106.90.

A double or triple Axel is required in the short program and an Axel is required in the free program for junior and senior single skaters in all ISU competitions. The Axel has an extra half-rotation which, as figure skating expert Hannah Robbins says, makes a triple Axel "more a quadruple jump than a triple".

The triple Axel has become a common technical element in the men's singles discipline, while it is still rare among female single skaters. As of 2024, twenty women have successfully completed the triple Axel in competition.

While there are many triple jumps in figure skating, the axel is the only one that's performed with a forward takeoff. This makes it easy to identify, even for casual figure-skating fans, but it's also what makes the jump so challenging.

What makes the axel more difficult than the other quads – the flip, toe flip, lutz, salchow, loops and toe loop – is that skaters face forward when they enter the jump, forcing them to complete an extra half revolution. Even the triple axel is hard enough that most women, and many men, have trouble getting it right.

How hard is a quad Axel? ›

Why is the quad axel so difficult? For the uninitiated, this might look like any other jump, but this jump is the most elusive in skating. It is by far the most difficult, and until Malinin pulled it off, it seemed impossible, because the forward entry makes it four-and-a-half rotations in the air.

At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Yuzuru quad Axel attempt is the first that was not downgraded to triple Axel. On September 14, 2022, in the free skate at the 2022 CS U.S. International Figure Skating Classic, American skater Ilia Malinin landed the first successful quadruple Axel in competition.

Shoma Uno / 宇野昌磨 (@shomashroom) • Instagram photos and videos.

Eric Arthur Heiden (born June 14, 1958) is an American physician and a former long track speed skater, road cyclist and track cyclist. He won an unprecedented five individual gold medals, and set four Olympic records and one world record at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games.

“We are not aware of any quintuple jump correctly executed and full rotated having been done even in practice. “Therefore there is not an urgent need to add quintuple jumps in the SOV. In any case it is something we will discuss in the near future.” For now, then, everyone can continue to marvel at Malinin's quad Axel.

Which jump is the hardest? In order of difficulty, from the easiest to the hardest jumps, are: toe loop, salchow, loop, flip, lutz, axel. In three of those jumps — toe loop, flip and lutz — the skater's toe pick initiates the lift off the ice.

One jump combination may consist of up to three jumps, while the other two jump combinations can consist of up to two jumps. Any double jump, including the double Axel, cannot be included more than two times; i.e., as a solo jump or as part of a jump combination or jump sequence.

A short program can have 3 figure skating jumps, a combination of toe jumps and edge jumps.