Posted on 02/10/2026 8:21:04 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
MILAN (AP) — Ilia Malinin, the U.S. figure skater nicknamed the “Quad God,” became the first person to legally land a backflip on one skate in the Olympics — although one trailblazing woman pulled it off when the move was still forbidden.
The 21-year-old from Virginia delivered a crucial free skate on Sunday night for the winning American team, filled with his trademark quadruple jumps, and punctuated the gold medal-clinching performance with his dramatic backflip.
It’s a move known today as “the Bonaly flip” — named for France’s Surya Bonaly. Nevertheless, it is Malinin getting showered with praise, prompting many on social media to lament the way his achievement has eclipsed that of Bonaly, who is Black, and wondering if that is due to the color of her skin.
Ari Lu, 49, was among those on TikTok saying the figure skating world owed Bonaly an apology. Where Malinin is praised for his athleticism, Bonaly was judged, she told The Associated Press in a text message on Monday.
“Something a Black person used to be derided for is now celebrated when done by a white person,” said Lu, who is Black herself. She added that critiques of Bonaly at the time appeared related to her appearance rather than her skills.
Bonaly, for her part, ended her professional career with a 10th place finish. Some argue the punishment of Bonaly back then and praise of Malinin today underscores a double standard that still exists in the figure skating world.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
Always gotta throw the race card in there.
Some people say that George Washington was the first US President. But in a few years, we will give that honor to a black woman.
Should still be illegal.
Oh please....
Sounds like peeps of “color” are being busy with cultural appropriation wrt ice skating.
When did ‘Frica ever have ice skating?
Analysis: More people care about race than care about figure skating (i.e. nobody).
Good ol’ AP… attempting to stir up racial animosity is still its go-to at every perceived opportunity.
It’s figure skating, not gymnastics. The backflip should be banned. Save it for the exhibitions.
Do you know what it’s called “Figure Skating”?
Joe Milton III is a black backup quarterback in the NFL who does them routinely from a standstill. Probably could have put our current skaters to shame athletically if he’d put on blades.
AP being AP...
Any “story” that has “some people say” in the verbiage - let alone in the headline - is instantly identified as media led propaganda.
Without exception.
Frankly, in this instance, they aren’t wrong - the figure skating world hated Bonaly, and not a little for her hyper-athletic black physique.
That being said, after Katerina Witt’s Carmen performance at Calgary in ‘88 - the free skate aspect should have been halted, as it would never find anything to top it.
(I have an opinion...)
It’s called “figure skating” for the figures competition they don’t even include anymore.
At first glance I thought it said Melania made history with backflip. You go, girl!
I think she did it even more smoothly then than he does now:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ATdrK3wEQAk
(But she couldn’t do his quads.)
“Some say” a lot of things, don’t they?
Always gotta throw the race card in there.
I figure it’s because they are skating.
“Some say” a lot of things, don’t they? Cick Vampires. They will never get enough clicks, will they?
"The first person to pull off a backflip at the Olympics was former U.S. champion Terry Kubicka, in 1976, and he landed on two skates. The International Skating Union swiftly banned the backflip, considering it too dangerous. Over 20 years later, at the 1998 Nagano Games, France’s Surya Bonaly flouted the rules and executed a backflip,"
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