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

FRANCE 24 Tue, 10 February 2026 at 8:11 am UTC·4 min read Ilia Malinin, the US 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 punctuated the gold medal-clinching performance with his dramatic backflip.Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It’s a move known today as “the Bonaly flip” – named for France’s Surya Bonaly. Nevertheless, it is Malinin getting showered with praise,...