How pairs teams execute the throw triple loop and triple flip

At Torino 2019, the Palavela in Turin presented pairs skating as a study in timing, leverage and trust. A throw looks simple because the airborne position is brief, yet the moment the man releases his partner, her edge contact and his catch can change the whole element. Success depends on a clean chain of forces rather than brute strength.

The throw triple loop and throw triple flip may occupy the same space above the ice, but they use different takeoffs. The loop is generated from a forward inside-edge action and sustained rotation; the flip receives a powerful impulse from a toe-assisted takeoff. The man still supplies the platform for both, while the woman must control her own axis, rotations and landing.

A throw is also a partnership problem. The man must create height, a predictable path and enough time for the jump without pulling extra turns into the air. The woman must interpret the release, place her blade, finish the rotation and arrive with her free leg clear. Judges examine each phase when assigning difficulty and execution.

For Australian viewers, the Turin event arrived during their summer rather than the northern winter. Pairs skaters in Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide train year-round on indoor ice, often working in venues shared with hockey and public skating. That background makes the technical detail at Torino 2019 especially useful: local training may be distant from Europe, but the need for stable rotation and a controlled catch is universal.

Why loop and flip throws differ

The standard pairs loop uses a forward approach and an inside-edge takeoff, with the woman leaving and landing on the same foot in the standard counterclockwise direction. There is no strong toe snap comparable to a flip. She carries rotation through continuous hip and shoulder action, keeping the free leg behind her in the recognisable loop shape. A triple demands enough angular momentum to remain centred through three full turns.

The flip most often performed as a pairs throw is the back-in version. Its approach arrives from behind, then the takeoff foot uses the ice and toe pick to accelerate the body into rotation. The same-foot landing remains important, but the defining action is the sharp toe-assisted reversal. A throw triple flip can be every bit as difficult as a loop because that takeoff has less time, and any late rotation changes where the woman lands.

Preparing the entry and release

Before release, the pair establishes a compact shape: the woman lowers her centre of gravity and prepares the landing leg, while the man controls the circling action and the height of her path. Their chosen hand hold and approach must keep the woman travelling away from danger and into clear ice. An early release gives her too little height; a late release can drag the jump off line or interrupt the takeoff edge.

The release should give the woman room to make her own blade contact without forcing extra airborne revolutions. Partners often use a fixed visual cue or one clear word so timing does not depend on guesswork. The man continues the lifting motion into a safe landing position, while she turns her shoulders and hips over the jumping foot. Their timing is successful when he catches a predictable jump instead of chasing one that has moved away from him.

Controlling rotation in the triple loop

The loop’s difficulty comes from sustaining rotation without the obvious accelerator of a toe pick. The woman needs a firm inside-edge takeoff, a quiet upper body and enough speed at release to complete three turns. Her arms and free leg manage the moment of inertia: bringing them closer can raise speed, but opening them too soon can slow or tilt the rotation. The movement should stay centred over the takeoff foot.

Common faults appear as a drifting axis, a windmilling free leg or a fourth half-turn, which becomes an over-rotated landing. Drills that hold the loop shape and rehearse the completion of three turns help the woman recognise how much rotation remains. She also needs a stable visual reference while avoiding a late, frantic reach for the ice. A clean landing begins with the third rotation instead of a forced snap of the free leg.

Controlling rotation in the triple flip

A flip turns speed into rotation with a brief but decisive toe pick. In the throw, the woman must prepare the foot and hips before release so that contact happens cleanly under her body. Too much delay produces an off-axis takeoff; too much opening after the pick causes under-rotation. The toe is an accelerator rather than a kick that should remain visible, and the free leg must avoid replacing the action with a windmill.

Once airborne, the woman keeps the rotation continuous and brings the free leg through a controlled position before opening for landing. The flip can look sharper than the loop because of its takeoff snap, but the same partner timing governs the result. The man cannot supply missing revolutions after release, and the woman cannot recover a badly timed takeoff without adding rotation to her landing. Practice therefore links toe action, body position and the finishing turn as one movement.

Turning height into a secure landing

The landing foot should meet the ice on its outside edge—the right foot in the standard counterclockwise pairs rotation. Her free leg stays clear, her knee tracks over the boot and her body remains upright long enough to control the force. The man positions himself along the intended path and catches her approved hand hold with a yielding arm. A locked arm or late reach can turn a secure landing into a wrenching pull.

Height is valuable only if it creates time. Excessive height may expose a tilted axis, while too little leaves the woman scrambling to complete the jump before reaching the man. On landing, the woman absorbs through the knee and hip; the man lowers his centre and moves with her rather than stopping her rotation by force. A stable outside edge also lets the pair exit into the next choreographic movement. A rotated landing, free-leg touch or fall can spoil an otherwise beautiful rotation.

Training priorities for pairs teams in Australia

Australian pairs teams usually develop these skills in the southern-hemisphere winter, when indoor ice schedules become reliable after summer. Clubs in Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide may share sessions with hockey, speed skating and Learn to Skate programs, so clear starts and safe run-outs need deliberate rehearsal. Volunteer coaches and parent-run clubs often organise prime ice carefully, making full-out triple throws a limited part of each session.

The culture rewards practical communication. A coach may call the cues “set”, “go” and “catch”, then review the pair from rink level and video. Technical work must still progress patiently because fatigue can hide edge and axis errors until the final rotation. A useful session moves from positions and lower rotations to short throws, full-height attempts and finally the complete transition into choreography.

Several essential practice elements help partners refine these skills. Skaters must master single and double versions first, confirming that the takeoff, free-leg clearance and outside-edge landing are repeatable without partner compensation. Coaches film from front and side to distinguish an axis drift from a genuine rotation error, then mark the exact frame where the free leg opens.

Partners agree on one release cue and define where the woman should begin her rotation, removing ambiguous calls between partners. They rehearse the catch at reduced height and full speed, with the man moving toward the intended landing rather than waiting in place. Finally, the pair builds ankle, hip and core strength while protecting the takeoff knee, and schedules demanding attempts when focus and ice quality are highest.

Follow the pairs event through the Palavela experience

The official Torino 2019 pages place the technical action within the complete competition held from 5 to 8 December. Senior and Junior results, schedules and athlete information show how a throw fits among the other required elements, while practice-session details reveal the preparation behind the clean performances. Ticketing and seating information helps viewers understand the Palavela bowl and the sightlines available for judging a high, fast pair element.

The wider event material also covers ice dance, the men’s and ladies’ events, volunteer registration and the exhibition gala. Australian fans accustomed to winter club competitions can compare that atmosphere with Turin’s multi-discipline Grand Final setting. The venue pages, athlete backgrounds and discipline explainers add context to the exact edge control, height and partner timing seen in pairs.

Explore the official Torino 2019 schedules, results, venue guidance and gala overview to experience the event from arena preparation through the final exhibition.