Ilia Malinin Lands First Legal Olympic Backflip in 50 Years

Praise For Ilia Malinin's Flip Highlights Injustice For Black Skater, Some Say

The U.S. figure skater's eye-popping move at the Milan Cortina Olympics resurfaced the overlooked legacy of France's Surya Bonaly.

Ilia Malinin landed first legal backflip on the Olympic ice in 48 years. These athletes did it first

American figure skater Ilia Malinin was the first to do a legal backflip in almost half a century at the Olympics. But he wasn't the first to do it on Olympic ice.

Malinin 1st to legally land backflip at Games

U.S. figure skater Ilia Malinin was the first person to legally land a backflip on Olympic ice. He performed the move on Sunday, marking a significant moment in figure skating history.

Malinin made history with Olympic backflip, but some say the glory owed to a Black skater

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.

'Bonaly flip': Olympic skating backflip sparks tributes to French trailblazer

US figure skater Ilia Malinin's gold-medal-clinching backflip at the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina has prompted a flurry of tributes to France's Surya Bonaly, who became the first skater to land the daring flip on one skate at the Nagano Games almost three decades ago – when the move was still forbidden.

'Quad God' nailed historic backflip, but some say this Black figure skater should've won the glory

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 capped off the gold-medal-clinching performance with his dramatic bac…