Salchow jump

The Salchow jump is an edge jump in figure skating. It was named after its inventor, Ulrich Salchow, in 1909. The Salchow is accomplished with a takeoff from the back inside edge of one foot and a landing on the back outside edge of the opposite foot. It is "usually the first jump that skaters learn to double, and the first or second to triple".<ref name="cultureonice-284">Kestnbaum, p. 284</ref> Timing is critical because both the takeoff and landing must be on the backward edge. A Salchow is deemed cheated if the skate blade starts to turn forward before the takeoff, or if it has not turned completely backward when the skater lands back on the ice.<ref name="cultureonice-284"/>

In competitions, the base value of a single Salchow is 0.40, for a double Salchow it is 1.30, for a triple 4.30, 9.70 for a quadruple, and 14 for a quintuple.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

History

File:1908 Olympic Games Ulrich Salchow.jpg

Ulrich Salchow, inventor of the Salchow jump

The Salchow jump was named after its inventor, Swedish world champion Ulrich Salchow in 1909.<ref name="mediaguide-16">Media guide, p. 16</ref><ref>Hines, p. 193</ref> According to writer Ellyn Kestnbaum, American skater Theresa Weld "received reprimands" at the 1920 Olympics "for performing a single Salchow jump because her skirt would fly up to her knees, creating an image deemed too risque".<ref>Kestnbaum, p. 92</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Firsts

Abbr.	Jump element	Skater	Nation	Event	Template:Abbr
2S	Double Salchow (women's)	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagcountry	1936 European Championships	<ref>Hines, p. xxiv</ref>
3S	Triple Salchow (men's)	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagcountry	1955 World Championships	<ref name="mediaguide-17">Media guide, p. 17</ref>
	Triple Salchow (women's)	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagcountry	1962 Canadian Championships	<ref name="mediaguide-17"/>Template:Efn
		Template:Sortname	Template:Flagcountry	1961 European Championships	<ref name="mediaguide-17" />
		Template:Sortname	Template:Flagcountry		<ref name="mediaguide-17" />
4S	Quadruple Salchow (men's)	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagcountry	1997–98 Junior Grand Prix Final	<ref name="mediaguide-17" />
	Quadruple Salchow (women's)	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagcountry	2002–03 Junior Grand Prix Final	<ref name="mediaguide-17" />

File:Miki Ando 2009 Worlds.jpg

Japanese figure skater Miki Ando (2009)

Multiple quadruple Salchows in one program

Description	Skater	Nation	Event	Template:Abbr
Quad Salchow w/quad toe loop jump (male's)	Ilia Klimkin	Template:Flagicon Russia	1999 Nebelhorn Trophy	<ref name="mediaguide-17" />
Quad Salchow w/quad toe loop (women's)	Alexandra Trusova	Template:Flagicon Russia	2018 World Junior Championships	<ref name="mediaguide-17" />
Two quad Salchows in combination with the triple and quadruple toe loop (men's)	Timothy Goebel	Template:Flagicon United States	1999 Skate America	<ref name="mediaguide-17" />
Four quad jumps in the same program: Two quad Salchows, one in combination with the double toe loop; the quadruple toe loop in combination with the double toe loop; and the quadruple toe loop (men's)	Nathan Chen	Template:Flagicon United States	2016 U.S. Championships	<ref name="mediaguide-18">Media guide, p. 18</ref>
Four quad jumps in the same program: Quad Salchow, quad Lutz, quad toe loop jump-triple toe loop, quad toe loop-Euler-triple Salchow (women's)	Alexandra Trusova	Template:Flagicon Russia	2019 Japan Open	<ref name="mediaguide-18"/>
Five quad jumps in the same program: the quad Salchow; the quad Lutz jump in combination with the triple toe; the quadruple flip jump; the quadruple toe in combination with the double toe and double loop; and the quadruple toe (men's)	Nathan Chen	Template:Flagcountry	2017 U.S. Championships 2017 Four Continents Championships	<ref name="mediaguide-18" />
Throw quad Salchow (pair skating)	Tiffany Vise and Derek Trent	Template:Flagicon United States	2007 Trophee Eric Bompard	<ref name="mediaguide-18" />

Execution

As defined by the ISU, the Salchow jump is an edge jump. Its takeoff is made from the back inside edge of one foot and its landing is made on the back outside edge of the opposite foot.<ref name="mediaguide-16"/> The skater enters into the jump with a backward approach, launches it using their inside edge, and lands on the opposite outside edge.<ref name="park">Template:Cite news</ref> The free leg is extended behind the skater and swings toward the front as they spring into the air while, at the same time, drawing in their arms.<ref name="usfsjumps">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Skaters do not have to draw in their arms or free leg close to their bodies while performing the single Salchow because bringing the free side of their bodies forward and around the opposite side of their bodies after they turn towards the back, is enough to produce the necessary rotation.<ref name="cultureonice-284"/>

The rotation in the air, with respect to a fixed point, is slightly less than 360 degrees because the takeoff edge curves in the same direction as the rotation in the air. When a skater pulls the arms into their body and/or brings their free leg inward, more rotations can be performed; for this reason, the Salchow is "usually the first jump that skaters learn to double, and the first or second to triple".<ref name="cultureonice-284"/> As U.S. Figure Skating states, however, "timing is critical"<ref name="usfsjumps"/> because both the takeoff and landing must be on the backward edge.

Gallery

• Sarah Isabella Bardua - 2018 Autumn Classic - 7.jpg

  Sarah Isabella Bardua begins the take-off of a Salchow

• Photos – World Championships 2018 – Men (Keiji TANAKA JPN – 13th Place) (3).jpg

  Keiji Tanaka begins the take-off of a Salchow

• Roman Sadovsky - 2018 Skate Canada - 03.jpg

  Roman Sadovsky begins the take-off of a Salchow

• 2011 Rostelecom Cup - Lacoste-1.jpg

  Amélie Lacoste landing

Works cited

• Hines, James R. (2011). Historical Dictionary of Figure Skating. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. Template:ISBN.

• "ISU Figure Skating Media Guide 2023/24". (Media guide) International Skating Union. 17 October 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
• Kestnbaum, Ellyn (2003). Culture on Ice: Figure Skating and Cultural Meaning. Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press. Template:ISBN.