In 1988, Japanese figure skater Midori Ito became the first woman to attempt and land a triple axel jump on Olympic ice. The triple axel is considered the most difficult jump in figure skating. In technical terms, the skater launches from the outside edge of the forward skate, rotates 3.5 times in the air, and lands going backward on the opposite skate, landing with more force than four times their body weight. As a 4’9” nineteen year old, Ito practically defied the odds of physics by landing such a powerful jump. Through executing such a commanding and risky move, Ito made history and forever changed the sport of figure skating. The following year, Midori then went on to further change the sport by becoming the first figure skater outside of Europe and North America to become World Champion. Ito raised the bar and set the foundation for other figure skaters to attempt her difficult move, like Mirai Nagasu who became the first American woman to land the triple axel at the Olympics.