Axel jump

The Axel jump or Axel Paulsen jump, named after its inventor, Norwegian figure skater Axel Paulsen, is an edge jump performed in figure skating. It is the sport's oldest and most difficult jump, and the only basic jump in competition with a forward take-off, which makes it the easiest to identify. A double or triple Axel is required in both the short program and the free skating segment for junior and senior single skaters in all events sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU).

Compared with other basic figure skating jumps, the Axel requires an extra half revolution, which 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. As of March 2025, 28 women have successfully completed the triple Axel in international competition. The quadruple Axel was successfully executed in competition for the first time in 2022 by Ilia Malinin, who remains the only person to have landed it in international competition.