The triple Axel is a jump in figure skating, consisting of 3 and 1/2 rotations in the air. The jump was named after Axel Paulsen . Male skaters began to perform the jump in the 1970s, but it is rare for females to successfully land them. Only a small handful of women have ever succeeded in competition, including Midori Ito (1989 World Figure Skating Championship) and Tonya Harding (1991 U.S. Figure Skating Championship ). Most recently, on January 15, 2005, 15-year-old Kimmie Meissner landed a triple Axel at the U.S. Figure Skating Championship.
