Axel jump

Figure skating element
Illustration of a single Axel jump
Element name	Axel jump
Alternative name	Axel Paulsen jump
Scoring abbreviation	A
Element type	Jump
Take-off edge	Forward outside
Landing edge	Backward outside
Inventor	Axel Paulsen
Disciplines	Singles, pairs

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", according to figure skating expert Hannah Robbins.^[1]

The triple Axel has become a common technical element in the men's singles discipline, but is less common among female single skaters. As of January 2025, 25 women have successfully completed the triple Axel in international competition, as detailed later in this entry. The quadruple Axel was successfully executed in competition for the first time in 2022, but has not yet been landed by a female skater and, as of January 2025, has only been landed in international competition by one skater.