She did it first. And she did it on one blade.
If you’ve been watching the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, you’ve probably seen the internet lose its mind over American figure skater Ilia Malinin landing a backflip during competition. It was historic, it was electric and it was legal. But nearly three decades ago, French figure skater Surya Bonaly did the very same thing on Olympic ice, landed it on a single blade, and was penalized for it.
At the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, Bonaly was already out of medal contention when she stepped onto the ice for what would be her final Olympic performance. She had pulled her groin muscle before her free skate. She knew the backflip was banned and she did it anyway.
“I just wanted to show the judges, who don’t appreciate what I do, just what I can do,” Bonaly said at the time. “I just wanted to do something the crowd would like.”
The move had been outlawed since 1977, after American skater Terry Kubicka performed one at the 1976 Olympics. At the time officials cited safety concerns. But Bonaly didn’t just do a backflip, she landed it on one foot. Something no one had ever done before in Olympic competition. She was docked points and finished 10th. But the moment became legendary.
Bonaly’s career was decorated long before Nagano. She was a five-time European champion, nine-time French national champion, and three-time World silver medalist. She was one of the first women to attempt a quadruple toe loop in competition. But as a Black woman in a sport that was overwhelmingly white, she was met with push back at every turn. From scoring controversies to criticism of her athletic style in a discipline that historically rewarded delicacy over power. At the 1994 World Championships, she was so frustrated by what she felt was unfair judging that she removed her silver medal on the podium.
Now, after Malinin’s legal backflip has reignited the conversation, fans and commentators are making sure Bonaly gets her flowers. Actor Wendell Pierce wrote on X, “Surya Bonaly originated the backflip in the Winter Olympics and was penalized for it. She should have won the gold medal. The Olympic Committee owes her an apology and a gold medal.”
Through it all, Bonaly’s Black girl magic shines through. “I broke the ice for other skaters,” she told the Associated Press this week. “Now everything is different. People welcome anyone as long as they are good, and that is what life is about.”
She also acknowledged the bittersweet timing of it all, saying she was simply “born too early.”
Surya Bonaly didn’t just do a backflip. She made a statement. The sport finally legalized the move in 2024, but we will forever refer to it as “The Bonaly.”
