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.
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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
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@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.
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#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
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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. She, however, lost points for doing it.
"Regarding the criticism she received during her career, Bonaly said she was “born too early,” ...
“I broke ice for other skaters,”...“Now everything is different. People welcome anyone as long as they are good & that is what life is about.”
@CStamp
I thought the first one with a backflip was Toller Cranston from Canada, back in the 80's? -
@CStamp
I thought the first one with a backflip was Toller Cranston from Canada, back in the 80's?@rolf_b_lh I can’t find that he did, though some of the professionals included them in their shows.
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#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
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#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
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@rolf_b_lh I can’t find that he did, though some of the professionals included them in their shows.
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@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.”
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@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. -
@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.@rolf_b_lh He landed on two skates. She was the first to land on one skate. They said a two foot landing didn’t count as a real jump, it had to be possible to land on one foot.
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@rolf_b_lh He landed on two skates. She was the first to land on one skate. They said a two foot landing didn’t count as a real jump, it had to be possible to land on one foot.
@CStamp Ah, right you are!
I saw his backflip back then, and I wasn't sure if I liked it - looked like an experiment to me.
But now I have seen hers, too (on youtube), and that one was better by far.
