Biellmann spin facts for kids
The Biellmann spin is a super cool move in figure skating. It's a spin where a skater balances on one foot. They pull their other leg (the one not on the ice) up high behind them, even above their head! Their knee bends a little, and their back arches backward. This makes their body look like a teardrop shape.
Usually, skaters use both hands to hold their leg up. But there are different ways to do it! Sometimes, they use one hand to hold the skate and the other hand on the arm that's holding the skate. Or, they might just use one hand. If the hand holding the leg is on the same side of the body as the leg, it's called a one-hand Biellmann spin. If the hand crosses the body to grab the skate, it's called a cross-grab Biellmann spin.
People have said the spin looks like a tulip on a turntable. It's one of the most famous moves in figure skating. You'll often see the Biellmann, along with the layback spin, in ads or pictures that represent figure skating. Skaters also use this position in their spiral sequences.
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History of the Biellmann Spin
No one knows for sure who invented this amazing spin. But we do know some early skaters who performed it!
Early Skaters Who Did the Spin
- In 1937, Cecilia Colledge from Great Britain did a one-handed Biellmann spin. There's a famous photo of her doing it at the World Figure Skating Championships that year.
- Tamara Moskvina from the Soviet Union also performed the spin in 1965 at the European Championships. There's a well-known photo of her doing it too.
- Other early skaters like Janet Champion and Slavka Kohout from the United States also performed this spin.
How the Spin Got Its Name
The spin is named after a Swiss skater named Denise Biellmann. She made the move very popular. Denise started doing the spin in the 1970s. She learned it from her teammate, Karin Iten, who was also a Swiss skater. Denise Biellmann performed this spin on her way to becoming a World Champion. Because she made it so famous, the spin was officially named after her! It's the only figure skating spin officially named after a skater in the rules set by the International Skating Union.
Different Ways to Do the Biellmann
The classic Biellmann position is when the skater pulls their leg up high with both hands. Skaters often go into this spin from a layback spin. They grab their free leg from the layback and bring it up over their head.
Cool Variations of the Spin
- Change Foot Biellmann Spin: Irina Slutskaya from Russia is known for inventing this one. She does the Biellmann on one foot, then quickly drops that leg and does the spin on her other foot!
- Half-Biellmann Spin: This is also called a catch-foot camel spin. In this version, the skater grabs their free leg like they would in a camel spin. They bring it up high, but their upper body doesn't bend back as much into the teardrop shape.
- Bent Knee Variation: Many skaters have done a Biellmann where the free leg is brought down closer to the face, with the knee bent inward. This version is often seen with younger skaters, as it can be easier to do before their bodies fully grow. Naomi Nari Nam performed this at the United States nationals in 1999. More recently, Junior-level skaters like Caroline Zhang have brought it back. She performed it when she won the 2007 World Junior title.
- Hyper-Extended Biellmann Spin: Skaters like Caroline Zhang are also known for doing a hyper-extended Biellmann. In this spin, the leg is pulled super straight up into the air. The skater's back bends as far as possible. Caroline Zhang can pull her leg so straight up that the spin looks like a capital "I"! While she made it popular, she didn't invent this position.
Biellmann Spin in Competitions
For a while, the Biellmann spin was used a lot in competitions. This was because it helped skaters get many points, even if they weren't super flexible. To make competitions more fair, the International Skating Union has now limited how many Biellmann spins can be done in one program.
This spin is mostly performed by women. You'll see it often in programs for Junior and Senior level ladies. It's also a position used in ice dancing lifts. Most male skaters don't do the Biellmann because it requires a lot of flexibility that many men don't have.
Famous Male Skaters Who Did the Biellmann
- The most famous male skater to perform the Biellmann is Evgeni Plushenko. However, he hasn't done it in competitions since 2003.
- Shawn Sawyer also performed the spin when he was a Junior-level skater.
- More recently, skaters like Ryo Shibata from Japan and Eliot Halverson from the United States have performed the spin in competitions.
