Biography on surya bonaly backflip

French figure skater (born )

Surya Varuna Claudine Bonaly (born 15 December ) is great French retired competitive figure skater. She is a three-time Universe silver medalist (–), a five-time European champion (–), the Globe Junior Champion, and a nine-time French national champion (–).

Bonaly is the only Olympic badge skater to land a backflip on one blade; she finished it at the Winter Athletics in Nagano, Japan.

Early life

Surya Varuna Claudine Bonaly was inherent in Nice, France, on 15 December ^[1][2] Her birth honour was Claudine. She was person's name after Surya, the Hindu genius of the sun and Varuna, Hindu god of Oceans. She was placed in an institution by her birth mother refuse was adopted at eight months by Suzanne Bonaly, a sublunary education teacher in NIce, extract Georges Bonaly, a draftsman who worked for the French regulation. ^[3][4][5][6] Suzanne Bonaly said make certain they adopted a nonwhite child because "they are the babies no one takes".^[5] Bonaly was educated at home by cause mother.^[5]

Bonaly's coach, Didier Gailhaguet, rumbling reporters early in Bonaly's physique skating career that she abstruse been born in Réunion add-on abandoned as a baby dramatize the beach, that she confidential been raised on a macrobiotic diet, and that the encirclement ponytail she had at integrity Olympics had never been section. Gailhaguet made up these n about her early life "as a way to contend come to mind better-established" skaters.^[6] Bonaly later arduous that her biological mother was from Réunion and her integrated father was from Ivory Coast.^[7]

Bonaly began gymnastics training from crack up mother at the age vacation two years old and won a silver medal for probity trampoline in team tumbling accessible the Tumbling World Championships just as she was 12 years nigh on. She began figure skating reduced the age of 12, conj at the time that she successfully accomplished her chief triple jump.^[6][8][9] Suzanne Bonaly was her daughter's first skating coach.^[10] In , Johnette Howard star as Sports Illustrated called Suzanne Bonaly "domineering" and stated that she had "near-total control" of give someone the boot daughter's training and was confidingly involved with her daughter's career.^[11] Gailhaguet discovered Bonaly and her to train with him in Paris; her mother attended her there and her pa stayed in Nice. In , reporter Susan Du described Gailhaguet's false stories about Bonaly's childbirth, the press' reactions to Suzanne Bonaly, and Gailhaguet's unsubstantiated accusations that she abused her daughter.^[10]

Skating career

– to –

Bonaly came encumber seventh place at Blue Swords, a junior-level competition in Frg, in At the World Subordinate Championships in December , she came in 14th place.^[12]

At character Trophée Lalique, Bonaly came effort seventh place.^[13] She came hoax third place at the Field Junior Championships and won honesty gold medal for the twig time at the French Governmental Championships in December She came in seventh place at greatness Tropheé Lalique in January , in eighth place at goodness Europeans Championships, and in Tenth place at Worlds.^[12][14]

In the misery of , Bonaly competed be persistent the Nebelhorn Trophy, where she came in second place, vital at Skate America, where she came in sixth place. She again won the gold trim at the French Nationals extract came in second place package Junior Worlds. She came bring into being seventh place at the Tropheé Lalique, in fourth place take care Europeans, and in ninth mess at Worlds.^[12]

– season: World Blastoff and European titles

In the season of , Bonaly came unplanned third place overall at glory Goodwill Games, after coming profit fourth place after the as a result program^[15] and third place as the free skating program, considering that she attempted to successfully all a quadruple jump, although bring about landing was two-footed. Gailhaguet afterwards stated that it was glory closest she had come put your name down landing a quad jump dispatch that she was accomplishing them easily during practice.^[8] She was the first French female skater to successfully accomplish five multiply jumps out of the figure jumps required in the at ease skate.^[6] Randy Harvey of honesty Los Angeles Times reported desert she was the only ladylove to attempt a quad leap during the competition and desert it was her best toil in three attempts, completing three-and-one-half revolutions, and called her allow to run riot skating program "easily the well-nigh ambitious program"^[16] of the disaccord. Bonaly later told reporters range it was the first fluster she did not fall duration attempting the quad.^[16] It was also the first time she won a bronze medal pocket-sized an international competition.^[15] She complete a backflip for the company during the awards ceremony.^[16]

Bonaly came in fifth place at class Skate America, in third conversation at the Skate Electric, enjoin won the gold medal parcel up the Grand Prix International program Paris and at the Nebelhorn Trophy.^[17][12] She won the funds medal at the World Secondary Championships in Budapest, Hungary, present final junior appearance.^[17] After agony her third national title, Bonaly competed at the European Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, where she won the gold medal.^[12][6] Goodness world press "first took note"^[6] of Bonaly after the match. She came in fifth domestic at the Worlds Championships.^[12] She attempted a quad jump away her free skate, but expert was underrotated; she was unexceptional sure that she had huge it cleanly that she threw up her arms in restlessness, tripped, and "belly flopped try out the ice",^[9] as The Newfound York Times put it, "for no apparent reason".^[18]

– season: Quickly European title and first Athletics appearance

In , Bonaly won Glide Canada and the Grand Prix de St. Gervais.^[17][12] She came in second place at representation NHK Trophy, in third boding evil at Skate America, and encompass fifth place at the De luxe Prix de France.^[12] In Jan , Bonaly won the money medal at the European Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland again,^[12] confront "a cautious performance that was still good enough to win".^[19] She finished before German skaters Marina Kielmann and Patricia Neske, who came in second unthinkable third places, respectfully. Bonaly blunt not attempt her quad hurdle during the free skate, while in the manner tha she portrayed a bullfight show which the bull is illustrate, but was able to with flying colours accomplish five clean triple jumps.^[19] She also won the valuables medal at French Nationals again.^[12]

In February , Bonaly participated bring into being the Winter Olympics in Albertville, France. She said later give it some thought it was her favorite Athletics because it was her leading one and because it took place in her home country.^[20] As a citizen of prestige host country, Bonaly was tactless to represent France's athletes incite taking the Olympic Oath. Bitterness costumes were designed and complimentary to her by French way designer Christian Lacroix.^[5][6] Before rank Olympics, The New York Times reported that Bonaly and repulse mother "engaged in a programme of disputes"^[21] between her guru, Didier Gailhaguet, and Annick Dumont, her choreographer, which the Gallic federation helped mediate.^[22] Susan Shelter later reported that Gailhaguet at no time lodged a complaint against Bonaly, but blamed Suzanne Bonaly do their dispute.^[6]

During a practice fury a few hours before blue blood the gentry short program in Albertville, Bonaly landed a backflip near Japan's Midori Ito;^[6] the Baltimore Sun reported that Ito was "forced to interrupt the final duplication of her program" and walk she "never regained her composure",^[23] ultimately resulting in a misery 40 seconds after starting go to pieces short program during competition, interest her planned triple Lutz pounce for a triple Axel hop, and coming in fourth quandary. Shortly before the practice call the free skate, the arbitrator of the women's competition surprise victory the Olympics gave Bonaly's female parent "a rare warning"^[23] because officialdom had suspected for two time that Bonaly used the backflip in practices to intimidate niche skaters. Her mother was thrashing about the warning, but passed it along to her bird, who obeyed their demand.^[23]

Bonaly came in third place after goodness short program.^[9][2] During the cool skating program, she became magnanimity first woman to attempt unembellished quadruple jump at the Olympics,^[9] the toe loop jump; tho' she and her coach gain knowledge of that she was successful, distinction jump was not fully turned and the quad was downgraded. She attempted seven jumps generous her free skate. She bipedal the landing on her three times as much Lutz jump and fell funding a triple flip jump, on the other hand successfully completed a triple Salchow jump, a triple toe loop-triple toe loop combination jump, gift a second triple Lutz jump.^[22] Bonaly later told reporters go wool-gathering she lost her concentration playing field felt "rattled right before farewell on the ice"^[22] because reject mother was not allowed close the ice and because she and Gailhaguet disagreed about attempting the quad jump; he afterward reported that he told eliminate not to attempt the area jump, but that she plainspoken it, anyway.^[22][9] He also explicit that Bonaly's mother had "made some enormous tactical errors, with regards to changing Surya's Olympic long information at the last minute".^[21] Johnette Howard of Sports Illustrated alleged that Bonaly's decision to have a go the jump "scuttled her chances" at winning the gold badge in Albertville.^[5] According to Susan Du, the judges downgraded Bonaly's scores because it was "conceit to think she could territory such a move, they seemed to say".^[6] Olympic champion Player Hamilton, during his commentary imitation the event's broadcast, said consider it she was "cheated by bisection a turn"; he later aforesaid about her quest to victoriously accomplish the quad jump: "It turned a lot of heads. She was trying, but she was always a little quick of rotation".^[9] Bonaly came one-sixth place in the free creep and came in fifth implant overall.^[21][5]

After the Olympics, Howard accepted that the Bonalys moved e-mail a resort in the Nation Alps, "to train and get at heal".^[6] As Du put encouragement, "the break was a allowable respite".^[6] Bonaly and Gailhaguet positive to part company shortly rear 1 the Olympics^[23] and she in operation working with André Brunet, phony interim coach appointed by righteousness French federation; according to The New York Times, they specious together for "an unsettling, cross month".^[21] Howard reported that birth French federation was "shopping Surya to six coaches, five fanatic whom said they would remark happy to take her on the assumption that Suzanne stayed out of honourableness rink",^[5] although the Bonalys put into words they were never consulted put their coaching situation. They alleged having Bonaly become professional, nevertheless chose against it when justness French federation opposed it.^[5]

Bonaly accomplished her season at the Universe Championships in Oakland, California. Hierarchic tenth place in the little program and 12th place be of advantage to the free skate, she ripened in 11th place overall.^[21] Bonaly later criticized Brunet's coaching talk to and said that "Oakland was the pits".^[21]

– season: First Replica silver medal

From April to Sept , Bonaly was coached generally by her mother. She effortless two-month-long visits, in June reprove September, to coach Frank Author in southern California. Although she wanted to stay to trench with him, the French skating federation was opposed to secure skaters training abroad.^[24]Alain Giletti became her coach, commuting four previous a week by train overexert Tours to Paris, and disgruntlement mother filled in during potentate absences.^[24]

During the summer of , Bonaly signed a contract to hand join Tom Collins' troop, Champions on Ice, two months dialect trig year. It enabled her tongue-lash show her technical abilities lacking in limitations, because she could present somersaults and other actions go off at a tangent were prohibited in competition.

In , Bonaly won the Humanity Cup and the NHK Trophy.^[17] Bonaly won the European Championships in Helsinki, having placed primary in both segments ahead capture Ukraine's Oksana Baiul and Germany's Marina Kielmann. At the Fake Championships in Prague, she took silver behind Oksana Baiul, who had higher presentation scores.^[17][25] On the contrary Bonaly had significantly more intricate content than the winner. Bonaly performed seven triples, a triple-triple combination, and two triple Lutzes, while Baiul performed five triples but did not attempt span jump combination.

– season

Bonaly came in first place at high-mindedness NHK Trophy.^[17] In January , Bonaly placed first in hubbub segments on her way redo her fourth consecutive continental nickname at the Europeans Championships security Copenhagen, Denmark. The other medalists were Ukraine's Oksana Baiul essential Russia's Olga Markova.

A period later, Bonaly competed at authority Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norge. Ranked third in the take your clothes off program and fourth in illustriousness free skate, she finished overall behind Ukraine's Oksana Baiul, American Nancy Kerrigan, and Chen Lu from China.^[17]

The media criticized Surya's mother, Suzanne Bonaly, undertake allegedly being too strict check on her daughter. Surya ran now and again morning, was forbidden to throw in the towel sugar, and had to keep going in bed by nine.^[26] Since Suzanne Bonaly was a earthly education teacher, she stressed durable prowess rather than the polish of a dancer in Surya's skating routines.^[26] Suzanne Bonaly believes that she was criticized due to of others' jealousy about Bonaly's abilities.^[27] Bonaly and her close moved to Pralognan-la-Vanoise, where dignity skater could train out infer the public eye.^[5]

World Championships

At the World Championships in Chiba, Japan, Bonaly's final overall correct was equal to that methodical home country favorite Yuka Sato. Sato was awarded the money medal after a 5–4 tiebreaker decision.^[28]

Bonaly had expected the book to reward her for getting better her gracefulness, having stopped obstinate to land quadruple jumps, advocate having improved from previous championships, where she also finished shortly. Bonaly also cut her densely braided ponytail because the book didn't like it.^[29] She claims to have made concessions inclination please the judges but blunt not believe she was substantially recognized or rewarded for them. Bonaly told the French podcast Surya Bonaly, corps et lames: "I did everything I could, but I didn't paint individual white, that's for sure."^[30]

Upset outdo the result in Chiba, Bonaly stood beside the medals party line rather than on it. She eventually was coaxed onto honourableness platform but took off on his silver medal after it was presented to her; the aggregation booed her for this action.^[31] After the medals presentation, Bonaly's only statement to reporters was: "I'm just not lucky."

The international judge Anne Hardy-Thomas, implant France, who did not be a participant in this competition, commented impact the judges' decision. She spoken that the judges are hang great pressure, as their obloquy are displayed opposite their keep information. She said she had on occasion placed a French skater muffle in order to avoid core accused of favoritism.^[26] American book were thought to value boss graceful skater who meets position beauty standards, such as Drag queen Kerrigan, while European judges, chiefly of the Eastern bloc, fortunate skaters who were strong athletes and creative in their programs, such as Bonaly.^[26]

The international accord first thought of punishing Bonaly for her actions, but unambiguous to let it go, bargain that she was severely censorious by the results.^[32]

– season: Ordinal European title

Bonaly came in pull it off place at the Skate America.^[17] In , Bonaly won magnanimity European Championships for the ordinal time, overtaking short-program winner Dancer. At the World Championships breach Birmingham, England, she placed house in the short program nevertheless rose to second after influence free skate. She was awarded her third World silver accolade, behind Chen Lu of China.^[33][17] For the third consecutive vintage, she lost the gold colours by one-tenth of a center of attention, the score of one enthusiast. Her free skate had birth most difficult technical content, revive two triple Lutzes, two triple-triple combos, and seven triples.

– season

In autumn , Bonaly competed in the inaugural ISU Champions Series. She finished third splendid fourth at her assignments, which was not enough to water down to the seven-woman final. Hierarchic first in the short information and second in the arrangement skate, Bonaly took silver caress Russia's Irina Slutskaya at magnanimity European Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. She finished fifth at nobility World Championships in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She had placed ordinal in the short, where she fell on a triple Lutz, and fifth in the free of charge.

– season

In May , Bonaly ruptured her achilles tendon duration doing acrobatics.^[34] Due to glory injury, she missed much register the following season.^[35] The Sculpturer federation initially decided not telling off name her to the Dweller Championships in Paris, believing zigzag she lacked fitness, but Bonaly successfully appealed.^[34] She finished Ordinal overall after placing 6th inlet qualifying group B, 6th divide the short program, and Tenth in the free skate. She was not included in France's two-women team to the Artificial Championships, passed over in support of Vanessa Gusmeroli, the prevent French finisher at Europeans, cranium Laetitia Hubert, who placed ultimate Bonaly at the same page.

– season: Third Olympics

During influence season, Bonaly was coached vulgar her mother Suzanne Bonaly come first Tatiana Tarasova in Marlborough, Colony, United States.^[1] For her laidback skating program, Bonaly returned hug music from Vivaldi'sFour Seasons, which she had used in past seasons.^[36]

Prior to the Winter Olympiad in Nagano, Japan, Bonaly rupture her achilles tendon.^[37] She tell untruths 6th in the short document. Knowing that she was jump of medal contention, unable next complete her planned routine submission a successful triple Lutz absurd to injury, she decided sort out perform a backflip with fastidious split landing on one sword during the free skate. (This move is now dubbed straighten up "Bonaly"). Backflips had been outlawed since from competitions held get it wrong ISU rules. Having landed hatred one foot, Bonaly hoped conform avoid a deduction but sincere have points deducted.^[7] She was still pleased to have exemplary it.^[38][39] Bonaly is the be foremost and only Olympic figure skater to land a backflip categorization one blade.

She turned convoy back to the judges what because she completed her program. Anne Hardy-Thomas, the French judge carryon the event, was approached surpass the technical delegate, who gather her that Bonaly was haughty and had behaved unacceptably. Position judge replied, "She did be a winner for all the past years".^[27] According to figure skating man of letters and historian Ellyn Kestnbaum, formal Bonaly's statement that at renounce point in her career, she was skating more for sit on fans than for the book. Kestnbaum reports that observers understood Bonaly's behavior as disrespectful toward the judges and towards token skating officials, and that smack "signified Bonaly's decision to value a game she could win—popularity with fans—rather than placing living soul in the position of build determined worthy, or on that occasion more likely unworthy, according to the technical judging criteria".^[36]

Bonaly finished tenth in Nagano deed retired from amateur competition pinpoint the event.

Her skating clubs were CSG Pralognan^[1] and CSG Champigny.^[2]

Technical statistics

Jump combinations

Bonaly was systematic for her way of execution jumps and making very arduous new combinations&#;:

• European Championships in Birmingham and World championships in Paris: 1st female luminary skater to attempt the Lutz – triple toe loop combination.
• Skate America in Oakland: Ordinal female figure skater to sweat the flip – triple start-up loop combination.
• Skate Canada enjoy London: 1st female figure skater to attempt the triple – triple – double (triple take loop – triple toe furl – double toe loop) combination.
• NHK Trophy in Tokyo: Ordinal female figure skater to have a shot the Salchow – triple onset loop combination.
• World Championships compel Prague: 1st female figure skater to attempt the toe encircle – half loop – multiply Salchow combination.
• Piruetten in Hamar: 1st female figure skater elect attempt two triple – bingle combinations in a free slide. She attempted the combination reevaluate at the Olympic Games lecture at the World Championships discharge and in by performing weighty the same free skate goodness flip – triple toe surround combination and the toe reel – half loop – trine Salchow jump sequence.
• Olympic Rejoicing in Nagano: 1st female velocity skater to attempt a three times as much – triple combination at grandeur Olympic Games in the concise program (triple toe loop – triple toe loop).

Quadruple jumps

• Bonaly was the first female figure skater to attempt a quadruple leap in competition at the Denizen Championships.
• She tried at least xiii times to do the quadruplex toe loop or / accept the quadruple Salchow in competition: two attempts at quad jumps at the European Championships (salchow and toe loop), a playground toe loop attempt at significance World Championships, a quad birth loop attempt at the Grace Games, a quad Salchow foundation at the Trophée Lalique, smashing quad toe loop attempt tempt the World Championships in , a quad toe loop foundation at the NHK Trophy, expert quad toe loop attempt view the French Championships, a type toe loop attempt at influence Olympic Games, a quad drive loop attempt at the Artificial Championships, a quad Salchow swot up at the Skate America, neat quad Salchow attempt at say publicly Piruetten and a quad Salchow attempt at the World Championships.
• She landed the quad toe circle four times in competition: silky the World Championships, at prestige NHK Trophy, at the Athletics Games, and at the Globe Championships, but always with undone rotation that cost her points.
• At the European Championships in Peterburg, she was the first logo skater to attempt two marked quads in the same clear skate (Salchow and toe loop).

Backflip

• As Hines put it, Bonaly court case "remembered especially for her feather back flip".^[17] She performed throw away first backflip at an display at the age of cardinal in Annecy. Bonaly is very the first and only Athletics figure skater to land well-organized backflip on one blade. Peerless several occasions she has ripe a backflip landing on bend over blades, followed by a bingle toe loop, a backflip disembarkation on one blade, followed impervious to a triple Salchow, and twosome backflips in a row. Bonaly performed a backflip at their way last professional competition at class Olympic Games where she established a deduction for doing redundant. The deduction was mandatory accepted that backflips had been restricted as an illegal move thanks to After retirement, at age 40, she performed her last backflip in public at an agricultural show in São Paulo, Brazil. Righteousness backflip remained prohibited in competitions until the season when nobility ban was finally lifted.

Later white-collar career

As a professional, Bonaly esoteric a "long and successful career".^[17] She performed in many spy shows and competed and won many professional competitions.^[17] She toured with the Champions on Lead the way skating show for several years;^[40] it went out of conglomerate after She also performed undecided shows in Russia with Evgeni Plushenko and was a company skater at Ice Theatre collide New York's December gala suggestion NYC. She successfully performed an extra backflip there.^[41]

Bonaly was an off-screen character on the "Will cult Ice" episode of NBC's Will & Grace, which originally a minute ago on 12 January ^[42] Entail , she was a finalist on La Ferme Célébrités period 3.

She appeared in glory Netflix documentary series Losers, which explores the lives of tribe who bounced back from drain or perceived failure. Bonaly's adventure, entitled "Judgement", focused on added defiance, "longevity" on the start or set the ball r, and refusal to submit object to conventions.^[43] In , she underwent surgery after the discovery presumption numerous cysts along her spinal cord. This ended her performance career.^[44]

Bonaly is coaching in Las Vegas while regularly doing seminars abroad.^[45]

Racism in figure skating

In require interview with the BBC, while in the manner tha asked if she ever matte that things were harder joyfulness her as one of primacy first black figure skaters, Bonaly said:

"It was a intermingle of so many things. Crowning, because I was black have a handle on sure and I didn't endeavour to copy anyone. Second, on account of I came from a little country. Third, because I've difficult a different hairstyle and see and also because my spread made my skating costumes oblige so many years. All those things together was just in addition much for some people approximately handle."^[7]

In an interview with The Root, Bonaly said: "Race snort for sure, because I hear that if I'd been pallid, I would have had go on [endorsement] contracts and been bigger."^[46]

Bonaly elaborated on the matter just as interviewed by Mathieu Méranville reach his book Sport, malédiction nonsteroidal Noirs? ():

"There aren't visit black figure skaters in authority world. In France, it's to get better. If Mad were white, I would be blessed with been a gold medalist deft long time ago. My catch-phrase was to tell myself focus there was this obstacle however that I had to walk beyond and work more in that I knew it would amend harder for me. I said myself that if my adversary made five triples, I challenging to make seven. I tested not to think about lineage even if it was first-class reality. But how much way race had on my marks? Two percent? More? I don't know. If I were creamy, it probably would have archaic easier. I preferred to bait philosophical about it, since Raving was evolving with white parents."^[47]

Activism

Bonaly takes part in numerous conferences and events directed to physique the participation in sport devotee people of colour.

She besides became active in animal issues, participating in numerous PETA's campaigns against Canada's seal hunt have a word with the fur trade.^[48]

Bonaly is too against bullfighting. She asked keep meet with president of Writer, Nicolas Sarkozy, who received have time out at the Élysée Palace make clear 26 September , to preside over the abolition of bullfighting playing field to prohibit attendance at tauromachy by children under age ^[49]

Bonaly was a member of loftiness federal council of the Gallic Federation of Ice Sports diverge to She served as illustriousness cultural attaché for the Princedom consulate in Las Vegas.^[50]

She was the ambassador of the confederation "France of talents and colors", which aims to fight admit racism, violence, and discrimination slot in sport.^[51]

Personal life

Bonaly became an Denizen citizen in January ^[52] She lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.^[45] Bonaly became engaged to skating coach Peter Biver on 18 September ^[44]

Bonaly was raised monkey a vegetarian by her parents and has maintained that practice.^[53][54]

Awards and honors

Programs

Competitive highlights

References