Surya Bonaly, who did a backflip at the Olympics before Ilia Malinin was born, talks about this gravity-defying move

The Olympian’s thin, silver-edged skates rose into the air in a rare and sensational backflip—one leg, then the other—and he landed on a single skate a split second after he sank back into the ice. The audience, first stunned, then applauded in amazement.

That wasn’t this year’s. Milan Cortina Winter Olympicshowever, and the athlete was not the young phenom of American figure skating Ilia Malinin. It was a generation ago, six years before Team USA’s “Quad God” was born, when the backflip wasn’t even allowed at the Games. And French figure skating legend Surya Bonaly, later praised for her bold move, was the first to be penalized for it.

“I think it’s cool,” Bonaly told News themezone of the 21-year-old U.S. Olympian’s feat in Milan, praising him for “wanting to go further, go beyond, you know, the rules. I mean, that guy is incredible. It’s good for him to even try to go further and do the backflip.”

This gravity-defying gymnastic move has been called the “Bonaly backflip” for good reason.

It was the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, where Bonaly, then 24 years old, moments away from what would be her final performance at her third Winter Games, gifted herself, the crowd and the cameras with something unforgettable. Still recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, Bonaly knew he was highly unlikely to win a medal.

So she decided to go big, with the first Olympic backflip in figure skating performed by a woman, and the first to land on a single skate.

The judges deducted points for the then-banned move. He started the competition in sixth place and finished in tenth.

“I was very early. I was always ahead of my time,” Bonaly told News themezone. “So, people didn’t like that. Also, maybe jealousy, a feeling of jealousy, a feeling of fear, standing next to me or competing with me.”

The backflip had been banned since 1977 by the International Skating Union, the world governing body for figure skating and speed skating, “for both being too dangerous and because it violated the figure skating principle of landing on a skate,” according to the Olympics.

The first skater to perform a backflip in competition was American Terry Kubicka, just a year before the ban was implemented, in 1976. But he landed on both feet. It wasn’t until almost half a century later, just two years ago, that the world skating body lifted its ban on the move.

Bonaly, now 52 and the coach of Shattuck-St. of Minnesota. Mary’s Figure Skating Center of Excellence told News themezone she was not at all disappointed to see Malinin celebrate the move that once cost her points.

“Because someone had to start it,” he said. “It’s hard enough to be the first at anything you try. I was a pioneer… great… (but) I wasn’t really welcomed. But now I’ve opened doors or broken the ice for a lot of people. And I think that’s even more important.”

Some fans have pointed out racism in the predominantly white sport, contrasting the views of Malinin, a white man, who was celebrated years after Bonaly, a black woman, was criticized as brash and rebellious for doing the same.

Bonaly is one of the few world-renowned black figure skaters. She told News themezone that she “didn’t have much of an example” to follow as a young athlete.

“I didn’t have much encouragement besides myself, my parents and my team,” he said. “Thirty years ago, people had narrower minds, so we weren’t aware of what was going on, how to deal or feel good about being around a person of color.”

But she remembered seeing another black woman on the ice, who opened rinks years before her.

“Long before me, I had Debi Thomas, you know, that American champion, who actually medaled in the 1988 Olympics, she was already incredible,” Bonaly said. “At the time, I was in France watching it on TV. I thought, oh wow, that’s great.”

Bonaly was only 14 years old at the time. Not only would she follow Thomas’ path, but she would surpass her in major titles, taking 10 French national championships, five European titles and three world silver medals. Although she never won an Olympic medal, unlike Thomas, who won a bronze, Bonaly competed in three Winter Games and pushed the sport’s boundaries in creativity, diversity and acceptance with her daring routines.

That desire to break new ground is shared by Team USA’s Malinin, even after their disastrous loss on the ice last week, when fell out of all medal contention.

“I think it’s more important for me to push the sport,” he told News themezone. “Many times, not many people talk about the Olympic champions anymore, but rather about the image you leave for the sport.”

He said he would still do the backflip that first debuted 50 years ago.

“Honestly, it’s a big wow factor,” he said.

Bonaly, now also a motivational speaker, said she encourages others to forge their own destiny on the ice, despite judgment or criticism like the ones she faced.

“It’s better to be the first to try something,” he said, “and people will be able to admire you and say ‘they’re copying you.'” “I never copy anyone.”

“I think this new generation can do great things, but you have to keep your head on your shoulders. Stay calm,” he added, “and be human. Because even if you are a champion or a celebrity, you have to be a good person every day. It’s very important. And also, I think that even if you don’t have a world title or a medal around your neck, that doesn’t define you. You’re still a great person.”