Which ladies singles skater has performed the best triple axel in competition so far?

[apatinar]

Midori, hands down.. there is not even a close second.. Even when Harding landed hers, most of the time the jump was tilted in the air and somehow she had a gorgeous landing.. Midori had power, height, speed AND a straight axis..

[Vagabond]

Came across this video this afternoon, which is a compilation of triple axels performed by ladies singles skaters up to 2009. Quite a few ladies skaters have attempted triple axels in practice, but so far only 6 have landed them in competition since Midori Ito first did so in 1988.

I can think of a seventh.

Triple Axel Gives Sawada An Edge

Japan’s Aki Sawada, who won the Japanese novice title in 2001, was virtually unknown until last season, when she finished fifth at her first major international competition, the 2004 World Junior Figure Skating Championships in the Netherlands....

She has been skating since she was six. “There are no other sportsmen in my family, but my mother recommended that I go to figure skating class,” she said. “I like jumping.” Four years later, she landed her first triple jumps, the triple toe loop and the salchow. Within another four years, she had learned all the other triple jumps and landed a clean triple Axel in Japanese national competition. Last summer, she began working on a quadtoe loop.

I don't know of any videos, but perhaps someone else can find one.

[Vash01]

Ito and Harding

Mao's triple axels are too tiny

but at least she can land them. How many other ladies can?

IMO Yukari Nakano had landed 3A's but the COP UR rule killed any motivation she may have had. It did not make sense to put the effort into doing a 3A and getting it degraded to a double. It was better than Kimmie Meissner's.

[emadden]

I used to watch Josee Chouinard practising triple axels at the Mariposa in Barrie.
She was a very technical skater as well as being graceful.
If only her nerves had not kept her from showing the world what she could do!

[love_skate2011]

but at least she can land them. How many other ladies can?

IMO Yukari Nakano had landed 3A's but the COP UR rule killed any motivation she may have had. It did not make sense to put the effort into doing a 3A and getting it degraded to a double. It was better than Kimmie Meissner's.

she did but I notice as she got older her 3 axels ( attempted ) got smaller.

though practices are different from landing them at real competitions, a considerable number of ladies as other have pointed out have attempted and landed triple axels in practices. I can see Tuk doing triple axels in competitions once she adjusts to her new body, her technique is solid , the height and distance she covers on her 2 axels are huge. her body and height is almost comparable to Ito's.

[BigB08822]

Current skaters will always get a boost in these kinds of polls. Ask this question again in 10 years and Asada will not be close to Harding, I promise.

[BigB08822]

I can think of a seventh.

Triple Axel Gives Sawada An Edge


I don't know of any videos, but perhaps someone else can find one.

Often people only count jumps done in International competition. Typically Nationals do not count if that is the only place they ever did the jump.

[Maofan7]

I can think of a seventh.

Triple Axel Gives Sawada An Edge



I don't know of any videos, but perhaps someone else can find one.

Because they were performed at small low level national competitions, I have never come across any confirmation that they were ever officially ratified. If you do come across anything, do let us know.

[sk8ingcoach]

Midori ito no question

[leafygreens]

A friend of mine and I saw Maria land triple axels in practice at the 1996 World Championships in Edmonton. They covered amazing distance, too.

Mao has the best consistent in-air technique. She is the only one in that video to have a completely straight posture and no high leg wrap.

If you want to give an award for popularity or sheer number of attempts, then Ito wins. But not on consistent technique.

[Vash01]

Mao has the best consistent in-air technique. She is the only one in that video to have a completely straight posture and no high leg wrap.

If you want to give an award for popularity or sheer number of attempts, then Ito wins. But not on consistent technique.

Just popularity? Just number of "attempts"? Midori definitely has the highest percentage of LANDING the 3A's- not just attempting them. She did not under rotate, and her speed and power were unmatched. The leg wrap did not bother me at all, just like you are not bothered by other weaknesses in Mao's 3A (and I am a Mao fan who wants her to go for the 3A).

I am not sure what you mean by "not on consistent technique" unless you meant "perfect technique". Midori's 3A was better and more consistent than some of the men of her time! Mao's 3A has never been consistent, but I respected her for going for 3 of those in the 2010 Olympics, and landing them. I don't recall her landing one since (may be she landed one at 2010 worlds? - that was a long time ago). Midori landed her first one in competition in 1989, and she landed one even in 1996. That's a 7 years span. Most men won't last that long.

[judgejudy27]

The people who are voting for Mao are probably voting for her based on her trying 3 triple axels per competition which was unheard of even for Ito and Harding, and landing all 3 and having them all ratified on the biggest stage of all (the Olympics). While I dont agree, it is still reasonable logic. I cant believe anyone would be so crazy to think her 3 axel is the best quality one, or is voting for her based on that. Harding being so far behind Ito is logical, her triple axel was also huge, but really quite ugly compared to her other jumps, always a bad lean, which is why most times she fell on it, and close replays of her landings show the ones she landed she was always on the verge of a fall on a very precarious edge, no doubt due to the big lean in the air she always has. In other jumps Harding was amazing when she was on, her triple axel was impressive due to the size, but the execution and quality is not near Itos with the bad air position and general wildness.

[muffinbiscuit]

I've always felt that Midori's leg wrap was unconditionally forgiven due to the speed, height and power of her jumps. I can't forgive it in other skaters like Nakano.

[Vagabond]

Often people only count jumps done in International competition. Typically Nationals do not count if that is the only place they ever did the jump.

Kimmie Meisnner never landed a triple jump in international competition. If she's in this poll, Sawada should be too (at least if there's a video).

Because they were performed at small low level national competitions, I have never come across any confirmation that they were ever officially ratified. If you do come across anything, do let us know.

Other than Brandon Mroz's quadruple lutz, has the ISU ever homologated ratified a jump in domestic competition? It certainly never ratified Meissner's triple axel, and I doubt it would have done so if it reviewed the jump carefully. It looks underrotated.

[judgejudy27]

I've always felt that Midori's leg wrap was unconditionally forgiven due to the speed, height and power of her jumps. I can't forgive it in other skaters like Nakano.

The wrap was only really bad on the triple lutz (and I never considered her as having the best triple lutz for that reason). The triple axel is usually wasnt bad at all.

[TheIronLady]

Angela Deroche, Sydne Vogel, Melissa Bulenhagi and Joanne Carter were landing the jump in practice at some point, too.

What? You expect me to believe that Joanne Carter landed a triple axel? As of late, the Australian ladies are still working on doubles. I doubt that any of the beautiful sheilas, fine as they may be, has pulled around or held a landing on the 3A.

As an aside, I want to add Joanne Carter was great for Australia. It is sad how comically bad the AUS ladies are today in every aspect, from jumps to footwork to costumes. After you lose to Mexico and South Africa at 4CC is when you have to reevaluate what you're doing. Is Cheltzie Lee hopefully coming back to redeem the mess somewhat?

[TheIronLady]

I used to watch Josee Chouinard practising triple axels at the Mariposa in Barrie.
She was a very technical skater as well as being graceful.
If only her nerves had not kept her from showing the world what she could do!

The problem for Josée was over-rotating jumps in practice and in competition. So it wasn't surprising that she would try hot mess triple axels in practice. She often fell on her double axels in international competition (checking those landings was a problem). She cannot be considered-- even if she met the criteria of this poll-- to have actually achieved a great triple axel. She had the potential to do a brilliant one, but I swear the odds are with her technical problems it would never have made it to competition. I believed she claimed to have it as a pro circa 2001, but did the public ever see any?

[sk8ingcoach]

Did 2 people really vote for Kimmie ???? u crazy

[judgejudy27]

Josee had big jumps and great rotational ability but she seemed to have real problems with control, often landing jumps overrotated or stiff legged, even on easier triples and the double axel. I cant imagine her holding the edge with the impact of a triple axel that often, especialy when you combine her nerve issues in competition.

Kimmie had by far the worst and ugliest triple axel I ever saw done btw. I would go with Miki Ando`s easily rotated but narrowly missed on the landing triple axels over Kimmie`s stood up by URed one which shouldnt have even counted.

[Maofan7]

Kimmie Meisnner never landed a triple jump in international competition. If she's in this poll, Sawada should be too (at least if there's a video).



Other than Brandon Mroz's quadruple lutz, has the ISU ever homologated ratified a jump in domestic competition? It certainly never ratified Meissner's triple axel, and I doubt it would have done so if it reviewed the jump carefully. It looks underrotated.

The problem with the Sawada 3A is, which competition(s) were they landed in? There not specified anywhere. There are no videos, no competition reports, and no other evidence. There is nothing to go on, no verification. If anybody has any further info, please post.

It would appear that she did not land any 3A's from 2004 onwards (i.e. the age of 15 onwards) and there is a reference in the article you provided a link to of consistency problems. Moreover, the same article refers to 1 clean triple axel in a "national competition" as opposed to multiple clean triple axels. My best guesstimate as to which "national competition" - the Japanese Junior Nationals which took place in November 2003, in which she finished 3rd. These were the only Nationals she participated in prior to the said article. However, I have not been able to find any confirmation that she landed a triple axel in that competition. Hence, its something of a mystery.