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

Surya Bonaly’s backflip 🤯 #figureskating #winterolympics2026 #iliamalinin #blackhistorymonth #sport | Ian Gunther