Oh, for anyone wanting to know, the “hardness” order of the jumps in figure skating, I put it below - in order from least hard to most hard.! Parentheses is the base point value for each level of rotation.
Single
Double
Triple
Quadruple
Toe Loop
0.4
1.3
4.3
10.3
Salchow
0.4
1.3
4.4
10.5
Loop
0.5
1.8
5.1
12.0
Flip
0.5
1.9
5.3
12.3
Lutz
0.6
2.1
6.0
13.6
Axel
1.1
3.3
8.5
15.0
You get more points for attempting a Quadruple Lutz that then is “downgraded” because of under-rotation or two-footing, etc than you would for a perfectly executed triple lutz with a higher Grade of Execution.
A common problem on the Lutz is a “Flutz” where you enter the jump from the wrong edge, but it’s really hard for an untrained eye to tell the difference.
This is a silly video on telling the jumps apart:
USUALLY in combination jumps, Toe Loops or Loops are the final jump in the combo. Loop combos are harder than toe loop combos. The first jump of a combo is usually the HARDEST jump in the combo with the best scoring. A Quad Lutz - Triple Toe Loop is still harder than a Quad Salchow- Triple Loop.
A Triple Lutz - Triple Toe would score lower than a Triple Lutz - Triple Loop.
There’s a weird jump called a euler that’s usually only used in a 3-jump combo that’s just a loop but landed on the other foot. It’s a loop for all reasonable purposes. We used to call it a half-loop but changed the name because you can do a double or triple Euler and therefore “half” was confusing.
Axel is the easiest to tell because it is the only jump entered forward. It’s technically 1/2 rotation more (so a triple axel is 3.5 revolutions)
Whoever thought of those red gloves deserves a medal, too. They really accentuate her ability to hold a long, straight line, especially in those jumps where she puts her arms straight up. I wish she could have red boots on the other end, too.
I was in the arena for that! I went up to spokane to support some friends for men’s nationals (and take over the only gay bar in spokane on a tuesday night)
Jason Brown also picks up points on all the pieces outside of the jumps (spins, footwork, general line), and the jumps he does tend to be very high quality. This strategy is helped when the quad guys are doing high risk pieces and so if they fall once and he doesn’t…
at the extreme other end of things in the Men’s competition today, Artur Dmitriev (Jr)'s shoulders/neck placement is just so distracting.
That video was great! I’ve been watching figure skating since I was 5 and never knew all of that information. Also the take off for the Lutz looks SO uncomfortable…not that the other jumps look remotely comfortable, but my ankles hurt just watching it!
Eh, it’s not really that hard on your ankle, the actual angle isn’t caused by your ankle but the blade - remember how much ankle support we have in the boots- they’re like solid masses. Things like sitspins and landing jumps are much harder on your ankles!
(ETA I have never in my life done a quad lutz, but I’ve done a lot of double lutzes and a fair amount of very bad throw triple lutzes)
I missed that Evgenia retired!! I was rooting so hard for her after reading about her move to Canada and coaching change, and it seemed like just a better environment for her to be skating with other 20 something year olds and not fellow countrywomen….
I didn’t take it that literally; I assumed it meant mentally/emotionally broken and therefor unable to perform well. The assertion doesn’t surprise me that much, though. I think it’s true (for a few reasons) that young girls in disciplines like this are willing to take a lot more screaming and wild demands than young boys. And men do mature later, so that could be part of it, like past a certain age it seemed to be less of a problem.
But really young, like under 11? I can totally see that or at least the perception of it. Like a girl crying because a teacher was in her face is just too sensitive for the art/sport or doesn’t want it enough whereas a boy crying because a teacher was in his face was broken by that teacher. If that makes sense? Less emotional regulation is expected, I think. I could see why she wants to only work with girls for that reason, less push-back or blow-back for being really tough.
Hah! I didn’t think she looked sloppy, just tense? Each movement felt a lot less connected but I still think her footwork and pacing was better musically. Oh and totally agree:
It’s so striking! And that performance was incredible.
I have followed ice dancing since Torvill and Dean. I later became a huge fan of Virtue and Moir, who I felt were the best since T&D and in some ways surpassed them. Not a huge fan of any of the current contenders, but will watch anyway.
I’ve been watching figure skating since the 88 olympics (my sister was babysitting and had me stay up to watch Elizabeth Manley), and this is the first time someone has explained a salchow and a flip well enough for me to start being able to identify them in real time without the commentator or the ticker. I’d been thinking I should find an explainer, and then you picked up the perfect one for me.
