Photo: VINCENT ALMAVY / AFP / Getty Images
lia Malinin’s backflip at the Milano Cortina Winter Games has drawn major attention, especially now that the once-banned move is officially permitted in Olympic competition.
The International Skating Union first outlawed somersault-type jumps in 1976 after American skater Terry Kubicka performed a backflip at the Innsbruck Games. From that point forward, the element resulted in an automatic deduction in sanctioned competition.
Surya Bonaly attempted it anyway. At the 1998 Nagano Olympics, the French skater executed a one-footed backflip during her free skate — fully aware it would cost her points. The deduction was applied. Bonaly ultimately finished 10th.
Her decision did not happen by accident. Bonaly, a five-time European champion and three-time World silver medalist, had long expressed frustration with how she was judged. Known for her power and athleticism, she often stood out in a sport that historically rewarded a narrower style of presentation. In 1994, after placing second at the World Championships in Chiba, Japan, she removed her silver medal from her neck while standing on the podium.
For nearly five decades, the backflip remained prohibited under ISU rules. That changed in 2024 during the ISU’s 59th Congress, when the organization removed the ban from Rule 610. The element is now categorized as a choreographic move that does not incur a deduction, according to U.S. Figure Skating.
Malinin, a two-time World Champion known for his quadruple jumps, has since incorporated the backflip into his programs without penalty. The move does not earn technical points but is allowed as part of a choreographic sequence.
Bonaly’s attempt came at a time when the rulebook made clear the consequence. Today, the same skill is performed under different regulations.
The evolution of the backflip in Olympic skating spans nearly 50 years — from automatic deduction to approved element — with Bonaly’s 1998 performance remaining one of its most defining chapters.
This story has been updated to reflect revised language and align with editorial standards.
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