While the American male skater is getting attention for performing the 1st legal backflip landing on one skate, let's acknowledge the 1st person to have done this: a Black French girl, Surya Bonaly.

nicolaottomano@mastodon.uno

@CStamp
Genuine question: why the origin of the backflip is attributed to Bonaly and not Kubicka?
The article says that the first one was Kubicka, but then proceed to talk about Bonaly, so there should be a reason I'm missing.

cstamp@mastodon.social

@SonofaGeorge They changed the rule a year or so ago. They don't give points for the backflip, but they also don't penalize the skaters for it anymore. When she did it, she knew points would be deducted, but knew she wasn't going to win a medal, so chose to go out on her own terms.

girlabtvillage@mas.to

@CStamp yeah, she was fabulous

cstamp@mastodon.social

@nicolaottomano He did a double skate landing, she was the first one to land it on one skate.

cstamp@mastodon.social

@ratel @BackFromTheDud She is a class act.

sonofageorge@mstdn.ca

@CStamp I hope I can do the same. Not a backflip on ice, but go out on my own terms.
Thx

nicolaottomano@mastodon.uno

@CStamp
OK (sorry for my ignorance), so the way of landing changes the kind of movement (kinda "backflip 1" and "backflip 2").
So, now my new question: being two different movement, are both allowed now?

cstamp@mastodon.social

@RHW @fistfulofdave Yeah, I would cut him some slack.

cstamp@mastodon.social

@nicolaottomano If they allow a flip to land on one skate, it would seem the easier two-skate landing should also be allowed.

samhain@ioc.exchange

@CStamp I remember this! I wonder what she’s doing now?

mariahill@progressivecafe.social

@CStamp The first thing I thought of when I saw him do it. No mention of Bonaly? But I'm old enough that I watched Bonaly do it live on TV (you are probably old enough too if James Van Der Beek is your generational icon).

cstamp@mastodon.social

@MariaHill LOL, um, no to the generational icon.

locha@fediscience.org

@CStamp She's very humble; changes would probably have been slower to come were it not for her.

colmdonoghue@mastodon.ie

@CStamp forgot to say the show: Losers
Surya is on ep3

benroyce@mastodon.social

@CStamp

#SuryaBonaly's story at the 1998 #Nagano #WinterOlympics is a marvel

She committed an error and was out of medal contention. So she went "fuck it, if the judges don't appreciate me for my athletic gifts, I am going to win on my own terms" and was the first Olympic woman to do a #backflip in #figureskating *on one blade*

And sure enough, we talk about that today more than anything else from then

"Fuck the haters, I'll win on my terms, I'm going to live my life"

Be like Surya

dougiec3@libretooth.gr

@CStamp
I remember her performance. It was amazing and the result was quite a shock .

tshirtman@mas.to

@benroyce @CStamp I only knew part of the story, very interesting, and even more inspiring.

benroyce@mastodon.social

@tshirtman @CStamp

there's more to it

she had a lot of resentment towards the judges. she turned her back to the judges after finishing and bowed to the fans

she complained of ageism (like with gymnastics it's appalling). she got unusually low scores. "After 10 years, I am used to it"

she was injured and considered dropping out. after her error she spontaneously decided to launch into the backflip and land on one foot

she said she did it because it was "easier" (?!)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surya_Bonaly#1997%E2%80%931998_season:_Third_Olympics

cstamp@mastodon.social

@tshirtman @benroyce Women aren’t supposed to be as athletic as men, she was a Black girl in a White sport, so she when she says she broke the ice for those who followed after, it is very true.

chrisp@cyberplace.social

@benroyce @CStamp What a legend!

Abspeckgeflüster – Forum für Menschen mit Gewicht(ung)

While the American male skater is getting attention for performing the 1st legal backflip landing on one skate, let's acknowledge the 1st person to have done this: a Black French girl, Surya Bonaly.