Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a daily column that runs on Page 1 of The Asahi Shimbun.
February 11, 2022 at 11:58 JST
Yuzuru Hanyu after the free skate at the Beijing Olympics on Feb. 10 (Taku Hosokawa)
Norwegian Axel Paulsen pulled off a new feat at an international figure skating competition in 1882.
The axel jump, in which the skater rotates his or her body while in midair, is named for its inventor.
Paulsen performed a single axel, and skaters, for decades, unsuccessfully attempted more rotations during the jump.
It took 66 years for someone to land the first double axel and a whopping 96 years until the first triple axel was accomplished.
Of the six figure skating jumps, the axel is the most difficult and earns the highest score.
Yuzuru Hanyu attempted a quad axel jump at the Beijing Olympics on Feb. 10, exactly 140 years after Paulsen’s inaugural jump.
Fans around the world watched intently, but the ice gods did not smile on him.
Using a track and field analogy, a figure skating expert likened a quad to completing a Fosbury Flop during a long jump. In other words, its difficulty level is beyond compare.
Hanyu had declared, “I am determined to go for (a quad),” and took on an unprecedented jump on the Olympic rink.
His courage must have inspired athletes across the globe.
According to a colleague covering the Winter Games in Beijing, Hanyu’s performance was one of the most closely watched events, attended by hordes of international reporters.
A complete hush fell when Hanyu appeared on the rink, and the sound of his skate blades slashing the ice reverberated throughout the venue.
Fantasizing about the Winter Olympics 50 or 100 years from now, I thought of skaters showing off as-yet-unknown feats named after the two-time Olympic champion, such as a “quintuple Hanyu” and a “sextuple Hanyu.”
--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 11
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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
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