0 a type of jump in figure skating (= the sport of moving on skates making patterns and jumps) in which the skater jumps with knees bent while facing forwards and lands facing backwards, with one or more turns in the air in between:
Tonya Harding was the first American woman to successfully land a triple axel in competition.
The defending champion failed to cleanly land the vital combination jump or the double axel and now lies in third place.
Even figure-skating fans have to admit the sport's terminology is indecipherable. Does anyone really know the difference between an axel, a lutz and a salchow?
