Surya Bonaly: Why Is Her Name Important In This Moment
The Winter Olympics are underway, and one of the biggest stories to emerge has been the ascent of Ilia Malinin, the American figure skater who has turned heads with his admittedly impressive backflips. While Malinin has received much praise, we’d be remiss if we didn’t put some respect on the name of Surya Bonaly, the Black woman who pioneered the technique.
Who Is Surya Bonaly?
Surya Bonaly is a former French figure skater who gained prominence from the late ‘80s through the ‘90s. As a child, Bonaly was both a gymnast and a figure skater. While she received the silver medal in the 1986 Trampoline Gymnastics World Championship, figure skating would ultimately be her true calling. She immediately stood out in the field, both due to her skating style, which was heavily influenced by her gymnastics background, and the fact that she was a Black woman in a predominantly white sport.
Did She Use The Backflip First?
No. That distinction belongs to American Terry Kubicka at the 1976 Winter Olympics. Surya Bonaly was the first to do a backflip (on one foot, no less!) after the technique had been banned during the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. Before the Nagano games, Bonaly would frequently backflip during exhibitions and practice routines. Olympic officials reprimanded Bonaly during the 1992 Winter Olympics for doing the backflip while she practiced. They accused her of using the backflip as a way to intimidate her opponents after she did the move near Japan’s Midori Ito. It was theorized that Bonaly so severely shook Ito’s confidence that it was responsible for Ito falling 40 seconds into her routine, and adjusting the difficulty mid-performance.
I really don’t understand why Surya Bonaly was punished because Ito was easily shaken. I mean, I know why (she was Black), but I thought intimidating your opponent was an inherent part of competition.
Her backflip during the ‘98 Winter Games was an act of defiance against the judges who she felt overlooked her due to her skating style and race. It’s worth noting that by this point, Bonaly had significantly altered her skating style to be more “traditional” and judge-friendly. Despite these changes, she was still undervalued and never received gold on the world stage.
She knew it was her last Olympics, and since she was skating injured, she knew she had little chance of medaling. So Bonaly decided to go out on her own terms, creating an iconic Olympic moment in the process. While she ultimately placed 10th in the ‘98 Winter Games, it’s been nearly 30 years, and we’re still talking about her backflip rather than any of the routines that ultimately won.
Surya Bonaly retired from amateur competition after the ‘98 Winter Games, making the backflip a fitting cap to a legendary, albeit undervalued, career.
How Many Medals Did She Win?
Surya Bonaly never won a medal at the Olympic Games, but she remains a decorated figure skater. She is a five-time gold medalist at the European Figure Skating Championships, a three-time silver medalist at the World Figure Skating Championships, and a bronze, silver, and gold medalist at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships.
What Does She Do Now?
Throughout the 2000s, she toured as a professional skater, most notably in the Champions on Ice touring show. Her backflip was the signature of her routines during the show, with Champions on Ice founder Tom Collins estimating Bonaly performed the move at least 500 times during her time on the tour.
As you can imagine, doing a backflip on ice is a physically demanding move that unfortunately took a toll on Bonaly’s body. She had to undergo surgery in 2015 to remove a series of cysts on her lower spine, with doctors telling her to retire the backflip. She now spends most of her time as a skating coach in both the United States and Europe.
Surya Bonaly is a prime example of shining despite the powers that be trying to dim your light. She was unapologetic in her style, and while that might have prevented her from obtaining Olympic gold, it made her a sports icon. So next time you see an impressive flip on Olympic ice, remember that Surya Bonaly paved the way for that to happen.
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