At #Albertville1992, Surya Bonaly made history with a gravity-defying backflip on ice. 😲⛸️ #Olympics #MilanoCortina2026 #WinterOlympics #FigureSkating | Olympics

At the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, French figure skater Surya Bonaly made history by performing a one-footed backflip during her free skate, a move banned in figure skating for safety reasons. She landed perfectly on one blade, a unique achievement in Olympic history. Though penalized by the judges, her bold act became legendary, showcasing her defiance, skill, and individuality in a sport with rigid traditions. As one of the few Black skaters, Bonaly faced ongoing criticism and lack of reco

23 years ago, figure skater Surya Bonaly pulled off a spectacular backflip, landing on one skate, in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics. But it didn’t count. In fact, Bonaly was penalized because a backflip is an illegal move in competition. Bonaly had been the world silver medalist from 1993-95 but, at the Olympics, she was in 6th place with an achilles injury. Instead of doing her planned triple lutz, Bonaly wowed the crowd with a backflip that became an iconic moment in women’s figure skating hi

The world is buzzing about Ilia Malinin’s Olympic backflip. But Surya Bonaly performed the same move at the 1998 Winter Games — when it was banned. Judges dropped her in the standings, and controversy followed. Today, the move is legal and officially known as “The Bonaly Flip.” A powerful reminder of how Olympic history evolves. #Olympics #FigureSkating #BonalyFlip #IliaMalinin #WinterGames #SportsHistory | 11Alive