Even those who only casually follow figure skating are probably familiar with the triple axel. Now, with U.S. men’s champion Ilia Malinin, the quadruple axel, or quad axel, is also gaining significant attention.

Its impressiveness stems from the fact that every axel jump—whether single, double, triple, or quad—includes an additional half rotation. Consequently, a single axel involves 1.5 aerial turns, a double 2.5, and so forth. This confirms that Malinin executes 4.5 revolutions in the air from takeoff to landing during his quad axel.

The journey to mastering the axel begins with the waltz jump, one of the most basic leaps in skating. This jump is merely a half turn, transitioning from a forward glide to a backward landing. Skaters initiate the jump by taking off forward on one leg, propelling themselves airborne to rotate, and then landing backward on the other leg.

While straightforward as a half turn, the jump’s difficulty escalates with each added rotation—one, two, three, or four. The axel stands alone as the only jump initiated from a forward glide, which is inherently tougher than a backward takeoff. This is because maintaining balance on ice naturally directs body weight towards the blade’s center to prevent catching the toe pick. Therefore, a skater launching forward must exert greater force to propel themselves into the air. Incorporating multiple turns further amplifies this challenge.

Midori Ito of Japan made history as the first woman to successfully land a triple axel in competition in 1988, and later at the Olympics in 1992. Several American women have also achieved this feat; Tonya Harding was the first U.S. woman to land it in competition in 1991, followed by Mirai Nagasu, who was the first to execute it at the Olympics in 2018. Among the current U.S. skaters in Milan, both Isabeau Levito and Amber Glenn have successfully performed the jump in competition, although Liu has not incorporated it into her routines since returning to the sport. Glenn utilized the pandemic’s downtime to enhance her strength and technique for the jump, which her coach now considers one of her most reliable elements.

While the triple axel is a common element in most men’s competitive programs, Ilia Malinin remains the sole skater to have landed the quad axel in competition. Despite the extraordinary nature of this accomplishment, Malinin minimizes its difficulty, stating that he found the triple axel more challenging to master. He remarked, “I kind of picked up [the quad] naturally,” adding, “It felt easier for me because I was aware of the process.”