French · Nice, France · Born 15 December 1973French figure skater and pioneering Black athlete who became the first skater to land a backflip on one blade in Olympic competition, defying a ban on the move.
Five consecutive European Championship titles from 1991 to 1995 and three World silver medals barely hint at Surya Bonaly's impact on figure skating: at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, already out of medal contention, she performed a backflip landed on one blade in deliberate defiance of the judges, a moment so lasting that the move was formally legalized in 2024. A gymnast before turning to skating, she brought extraordinary athleticism to the ice, becoming the second Black female skater after American Debi Thomas to reach the sport's international elite. Bonaly won five consecutive European Championship titles from 1991 to 1995, and finished as World silver medalist three years running from 1993 to 1995, but never claimed the world title her athleticism seemed to promise, often facing critical judging of her powerful, gymnastic style compared to more balletic rivals. At the 1992 Albertville Olympics, she became the first woman to attempt a quadruple jump in Olympic competition, and later became one of the first women to attempt the quadruple toe loop at the 1991 World Championships. At the 1998 Nagano Olympics, already out of medal contention after injuring her groin, Bonaly closed her final Olympic free skate with a backflip landed on one blade — a move banned in competition since the 1970s — in defiance of the judges. The moment, now known as 'the Bonaly', went unrewarded competitively at the time but became one of the most replayed clips in skating history; the move was finally legalized in 2024, and when Ilia Malinin performed it at the 2026 Olympics, tributes poured in recognizing Bonaly as the true pioneer.
Landing a backflip on one blade at the 1998 Olympics in defiance of a competition ban, and pioneering athletic, powerful skating as a Black woman in a historically white sport
How They Played
Explosively athletic, gymnastic style built on powerful jumps and daring elements including the sport's first quadruple jump attempts by a woman
Lasting Impact
A trailblazing figure whose 'Bonaly flip' and gymnastic style pushed the boundaries of the sport decades ahead of their time, later honoured as a true pioneer
Career Honours
- 5x European Champion (1991-1995)
- 3x World Championship Silver Medalist (1993-1995)
- 1991 World Junior Champion
- 9x French National Champion (1989-1997)
French Athletes