Quad (figure skating)
A quad, or quadruple, is a figure skating jump with at least three but less than four revolutions. Most quadruple jumps have 3 1/2 revolutions; the quadruple Axel has 4 1/2 revolutions, although no figure skater to date has completed this jump in competition. The quadruple toe loop and quadruple Salchow are the two most commonly skated in the discipline. Quadruple jumps have become increasingly common among World and Olympic level men's single skaters, to the point that not having one in a program has come to be seen as a severe handicap. The first person to land a ratified quadruple jump in competition was Canadian Kurt Browning in 1988. In 2002, Miki Ando became the first woman to do so, and she remains one of only two women to have landed a ratified quadruple jump in competition.
Quadruple jump controversy
Jeffrey Buttle's win at the 2008 Worlds officially disproved the already long-standing notion that a quad was needed to win the big titles. His win is credited to have been the spark that ignited the quad controversy that came to a head at the Vancouver Olympic Games. Brian Joubert, the first European skater to land three quads in a program, expressed his strong disappointment over the results and stated that the value of the jump should be raised in the current scoring system. Evan Lysacek, like Joubert, commented that a quad was an essential part of men's skating. In 2009, Lysacek became the second consecutive figure skater to win the world championship without a quadruple jump.