Twist lifts
Encyclopedia
A twist lift is a pairs figure skating
hand-to-waist lift
. The man lifts the lady in the air, where she performs one or more rotations in a laid-out position. He catches her in the air and lets her down onto one foot. The element is judged on a variety of factors, such as speed, smoothness of the take-off and landing, the height reached, the position of the lady in the air, the continuous rotation, and good coverage of the ice surface.
(ISU) competition, the twist lift take-off is either a Flip take-off
or a Lutz take-off
. In the free skating
of ISU competition, there is no such restriction.
The lady rotates a specific number of times in the air. The number of rotations may be part of the requirement for the element.
As the lady completes the element in the air, the man rotates forward to catch her at the side of her waist. Under ISU rules, the man's secure contact with her waist must be made both while the lady is in the air and prior to her landing on the ice. The lady's hands must not touch the man during the catch. In 2007, the ISU rules were revised to indicate that the lady's arms as well as her hands were not to touch the man on reentry to the ice. The man then assists the lady into a smooth landing on the ice. For ISU competitions, the lady lands on the ice on a backward outside edge on one foot. The man also exits from the twist-lift on one foot.
take off, the Axel twist lift users the axel jump
take off, and the Lutz/Flip twist lift uses either the Lutz jump
or the Flip jump
take off.
Twist rotations are the counted the same as with jumps. Therefore, a one-rotation twist is a single twist, a two-rotation twist is a double twist, a three-rotation twist is a triple twist, and a four-rotation twist is a quad twist.
position in the air before rotating. This is not required but may increase the grade of execution of this element if each leg is separated by at least a 45° angle from the body axis. Other variations which may increase the score include steps or other skating moves going into the twist, delayed rotation, or the lady holding her arms over her head.
A twist may be performed in either vertical or lateral position. A lateral twist lift involves the man slightly tipping the lady to twist almost parallel to the ground. Skaters would traditionally perform a twist in vertical position but lateral ones have become more common since the 1990s. The pair's choice does not affect the score.
, twist lifts are graded on the four levels of difficulty, with level one being the easiest, and level four being the hardest. In the protocol abbreviations, the number of rotations precedes the abbreviation and the level of difficulty follows it. A triple toeloop twist lift that was awarded a level four would be abbreviated "3TTw4" in the protocol.
In determining the quality of twist lift execution at ISU competitions, each judge will mark every element with positive and negative points as a function of the features of the execution. The ISU judge will consider factors such as the speed, smoothness of the take-off and landing, the height reached, the position of the lady in the air, the continuous rotation, and good coverage of the ice surface. Points are deducted for an awkward catch, if the twist rotations were not completed, if one of the partner falls, if the lady collapses on the partner during the catch, if she is not caught at the waist or in the air, or if she lands on two feet. In addition, deductions are taken if the man finishes the element on two feet, there is poor height or distance on the twist, poor speed at take-off or landing. Further, serious scratching on take off, touch down with the free foot, and under-rotated up to 1/4 of a revolution could result in deductions.
Pair skating
Pair skating is a figure skating discipline. International Skating Union regulations describe pair teams as consisting of "one lady and one man." The sport is distinguished from ice dancing and single skating by elements unique to pair skating, including overhead lifts, twist lifts, death spirals,...
hand-to-waist lift
Figure skating lifts
Figure skating lifts are a required element in pair skating and ice dancing. Pairs lifts differ from dance lifts most notably in that dancers are not allowed to lift their partners above their shoulders...
. The man lifts the lady in the air, where she performs one or more rotations in a laid-out position. He catches her in the air and lets her down onto one foot. The element is judged on a variety of factors, such as speed, smoothness of the take-off and landing, the height reached, the position of the lady in the air, the continuous rotation, and good coverage of the ice surface.
Technique
The twist lift movement starts with both skaters skating backward. The man holds the lady by the waist and she holds him on his wrists. The lady toe-picks into the ice and springs into the air, while the man assists into lifting her above his head and then throwing her into the air. In the short program in International Skating UnionInternational Skating Union
The International Skating Union is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Netherlands in 1892, making it one of the oldest international...
(ISU) competition, the twist lift take-off is either a Flip take-off
Flip jump
The flip jump is a figure skating jump which takes off a backward inside edge with a toe pick assist, and lands on the backward outside edge of the opposite foot.-Flip technique:...
or a Lutz take-off
Lutz jump
The Lutz is a figure skating jump, named after Alois Lutz, an Austrian skater who performed it in 1913. It is a toepick-assisted jump with an entrance from a back outside edge and landing on the back outside edge of the opposite foot.- Lutz technique:...
. In the free skating
Free skating
The free skating competition of figure skating, sometimes called the "free skate" or "long program", is usually the second of two phases in major figure skating competitions in single skating and pair skating. It is the longer of the two programs, the other one being the Short Program...
of ISU competition, there is no such restriction.
The lady rotates a specific number of times in the air. The number of rotations may be part of the requirement for the element.
As the lady completes the element in the air, the man rotates forward to catch her at the side of her waist. Under ISU rules, the man's secure contact with her waist must be made both while the lady is in the air and prior to her landing on the ice. The lady's hands must not touch the man during the catch. In 2007, the ISU rules were revised to indicate that the lady's arms as well as her hands were not to touch the man on reentry to the ice. The man then assists the lady into a smooth landing on the ice. For ISU competitions, the lady lands on the ice on a backward outside edge on one foot. The man also exits from the twist-lift on one foot.
Types of twist lifts
Twist lifts are categorized by the edge and type of take off. The three types of twist lifts are named for the jump entrance take-off that they use. The Toeloop twist lift uses the toe loop jumpToe loop jump
The toe loop is one of the simplest jumps in figure skating. It is usually the second jump learned after the salchow. It is a toe pick-assisted jump that takes off and lands on the same backward outside edge. - Toe loop technique :...
take off, the Axel twist lift users the axel jump
Axel jump
The Axel is a figure skating jump with a forward take-off. It is named after the Norwegian skater Axel Paulsen, who first performed the jump in 1882. An Axel jump has an extra ½ rotation in the air due to its forward take-off...
take off, and the Lutz/Flip twist lift uses either the Lutz jump
Lutz jump
The Lutz is a figure skating jump, named after Alois Lutz, an Austrian skater who performed it in 1913. It is a toepick-assisted jump with an entrance from a back outside edge and landing on the back outside edge of the opposite foot.- Lutz technique:...
or the Flip jump
Flip jump
The flip jump is a figure skating jump which takes off a backward inside edge with a toe pick assist, and lands on the backward outside edge of the opposite foot.-Flip technique:...
take off.
Twist rotations are the counted the same as with jumps. Therefore, a one-rotation twist is a single twist, a two-rotation twist is a double twist, a three-rotation twist is a triple twist, and a four-rotation twist is a quad twist.
Variations
The lady may achieve a splitSplit (gymnastics)
A split is a human body configuration in which the legs are parallel to each other and extended in opposite directions. Splits are performed in various athletic activities, including dance, figure skating, gymnastics, martial arts, contortionism, synchronized swimming, cheerleading and yoga...
position in the air before rotating. This is not required but may increase the grade of execution of this element if each leg is separated by at least a 45° angle from the body axis. Other variations which may increase the score include steps or other skating moves going into the twist, delayed rotation, or the lady holding her arms over her head.
A twist may be performed in either vertical or lateral position. A lateral twist lift involves the man slightly tipping the lady to twist almost parallel to the ground. Skaters would traditionally perform a twist in vertical position but lateral ones have become more common since the 1990s. The pair's choice does not affect the score.
In competition
In ISU competitions on the junior level, the twist in the short program must be a double or a triple, Here, double or triple twists are a required element in the pairs short program at the senior level, but there is no rotation restriction in the free skating. In 2007, the ISU rules were revised to require a minimum of one full revolution.Scoring
Under the ISU Judging SystemISU Judging System
The ISU Judging System , is the scoring system on the event and on the level of competition. At the senior international level, single and pairs short programs contain eight technical elements. The actual eight elements are detailed for single skaters in ISU rule 310...
, twist lifts are graded on the four levels of difficulty, with level one being the easiest, and level four being the hardest. In the protocol abbreviations, the number of rotations precedes the abbreviation and the level of difficulty follows it. A triple toeloop twist lift that was awarded a level four would be abbreviated "3TTw4" in the protocol.
In determining the quality of twist lift execution at ISU competitions, each judge will mark every element with positive and negative points as a function of the features of the execution. The ISU judge will consider factors such as the speed, smoothness of the take-off and landing, the height reached, the position of the lady in the air, the continuous rotation, and good coverage of the ice surface. Points are deducted for an awkward catch, if the twist rotations were not completed, if one of the partner falls, if the lady collapses on the partner during the catch, if she is not caught at the waist or in the air, or if she lands on two feet. In addition, deductions are taken if the man finishes the element on two feet, there is poor height or distance on the twist, poor speed at take-off or landing. Further, serious scratching on take off, touch down with the free foot, and under-rotated up to 1/4 of a revolution could result in deductions.