Ever since Canadian Kurt Browning landed the first quadruple toeloop in 1988, the four-revolution jump has proliferated in the world of competitive figure skating.
But not the axel.
The technique that two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu's mentor called the "king of jumps" has been frozen at a triple for 44 years and, at least for the Japanese gold medal contender at the Beijing Games, remains the final frontier to conquer before he considers hanging up his skates.