Why is "Triple Axel" of a girls figure such a difficult jump?

A three-turn half jump of figure skating which was a synonym for Mao Asada "Triple Axel"Is still known as the most difficult jump in girls' figure skating, and there are only as many skaters that made it successful in the past. This triple axel was made successful in the official game for the first time in the official game by American national team Nagasu future at the Pyeongchang Olympics held in Korea. Vox explains why the triple axel which attracts attention again in the United States again due to this achievement, how difficult it is, and whether there are rare skaters that can freeze ice.

Why the triple axel is such a big deal - YouTube


In 1991 when the Cold War ended and Street Fighter II of the arcade game became extremely popular.


Tonya Harding was the first American women's skater to make triple axel a success in the tournament.


At that time, great attention was gathering for the fierce rival fight between Nancy Kerrigan and Harding.


With "elegant" Kerrigan ......


"Powerful" Harding and two contrasting skaters.


Harding, who challenged the theme song of film Batman ... ...


I successfully triple triple Axel.


Then time passed, Nagasu Mirai became the second American women players who made triple axel a success.


I will ask the question, "Do you represent triple axel with a word?" In such Nagasu.


"If you know about Triple Axel, you know that it is difficult to describe in one word, as she will postpone how she will answer."


The accelerator jump is the only jump that jumps forward positively. Of course, Triple Axel will also step forward with a positive attitude.


Orthodox anti-clockwise players use the outside edge of the left foot ......


As you jump up, you will rotate as you roll around the toes.


In short, the elements of triple axel are three: "forward railroad crossing", "three turning half", "icing on the opposite foot".


Unlike ordinary jumps, you need to turn extra "half turn", so it jumps positively and goes backwards.


Mr. Deborah King who studies sports science at Ithaca University will explain the triple axel scientifically.


"Triple axle requires both an upward force to jump and a rotating lateral force, taking both approaches while jumping."


I often see skaters leaning dangerously at jumping ice, but this is due to the inclination of the body when twisting, not because the ice slips.


A good skater will do big jumps, but those who jump triple axel need to rotate quickly.


The chart below shows data on each single jump of single accelerator (one half turn), double accelerator (two turns half), triple axel (three turns half).


For example, if you look at the flight distance of a jump, you can see that it gets shorter as the rotation increases. The reason is that energy is necessary to rotate.


You need to spare extra energy to rotate faster. Triple Axel has a physically difficult problem.


In order to rotate faster, Mr. King says that it is necessary to make the body slender and straight like a pencil.


In order to shrink the body so as not to drop the turning power, you need to use the muscular strength of the upper body.


Also, when icing ice, you must absorb the rotation speed and weight by using the opposite leg from the one you took.


Midori Ito succeeded triple axel at the official game for the first time in the world in the late 1980 's.


Triple Axel, which made it a success successfully, was a perfect way to manipulate turning power and gravity, either by Itoh or Harding.


"Triple axel is to replace the physics world with elegance."


Therefore, if you ask Choshu to express triple axel in one word, it may be natural to say that you will endure in answering.


The answer that Choshu issued for a while was "Historical".


Triple Axel is a fusion of "power" and "elegance", and it should not conflict these.