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.
-
@jmcrookston Yeah, she knew she was going to lose anyway so thought she would at least go out in style.
Bonaly was the only female athlete capable of the skill at that time, and later told reporters that she wanted to “show the judges – who don’t appreciate what I do – just what I can do.”
-
#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
@benroyce I never know about all of that, but it's certainly something to behold nonetheless.
-
-
@CStamp will try to find later. Now I say good night
@CStamp It was Terry Kubicka at the 1976 Olympics, my memory was wrong.
It was then counted a double (jump? what is a Lutz or Flip or Toeloop called in english?), if my memory is right this time and was forbidden very soon after. -
E eyjala@mastodon.social shared this topic
