She was such a powerhouse. A true athlete, she was just simply too good for this sport and people knew that. Everyone will always remember her whether they hated or loved her. She will always remain a BAD BITCH in my book.❤️
lkji xddfgvb thank you and that’s the reason why they didn’t accept her in this sport. Black womens bodies are seen as masculine and rough. She was graceful and soft in all her pieces.
The backflip she performed is illegal not only because of the extreme danger, but also because those who used it in choreography landed on both feet, while you're supposed to land jumps on one. She had recently recieved a first place tie with another skater, Yuka Sato, and the judges gave the gold to the other, cheating her out of a win. She refused to take her place in second and, with no practice, performed a backflip and landed on ONE foot as a final "fuck you" to the judges, obviously due to their race-centered treatment of Surya. She made an illegal, life threatening and nearly impossible move not only possible but technically legal in one of the hardest sports in the world.
lmao made it about race when it wasnt about race, believe it or not just because a black person doesn't get first place doesn't mean it was because the world is out to get white people ahead of black people. She lost to an Asian, which is a pretty significant distinction. It wasn't about race either, they didn't secretly prefer less melanin, they preferred more refined techniques and thats why the Asian girl won. She'd do better in gymnastics than in iceskating.
It was just another case of we will settle for any other ethnicity to win ... to do the impossible should get you the win espicllaly if in one case it was a tie...I would of gave it to the person who did the impossible and unthinkable.
Let's face it - she wasn't taking some noble stand against racism...she was just pissed that she didn't get 1st, was too full of herself to accept 2nd, and wanted to get revenge by embarrassing the judges. Understandable? Yes. Heroic? No.
M LT Actually it was illegal to do a backflip and land on two blades. What Surya did was not technically illegal, but the judges deducted points anyway because they're racist pricks that had been giving her low scores for her entire career. Eventually just backflips in general became illegal.
-Backflips are illegal, but only landing on 2 skates since landing on one was just assumed to be so impossible that they won't even cover it- -Backflips and lands on 1 skate, not illegal, they couldn't discount it- What a legend.
I LOVE Surya Bonaly. The landing on one skate was her last appearance as a competitive ice skater. She hurt her leg the day before and they wanted to pull her out but she said no, then gets on the ice and performs like a bad ass! They said that her trick move is illegal because nobody can do it and it's dangerous! Hello! Surya did it!! I think there should be an "athletic" skating event so unconventional skaters can compete. Those snobby ice skating judges never saw her for what she was. And that was a beautiful performer.
Technically, it was legal because it landed on ONE foot!! Not only was she talented- But she knew she could get away with it! What a clever, talented woman!
+mehtotheworld Technically, it was. She landed on one foot, so it counted as a jump instead of a backflip (backflips were landed on two). Because it was technically legal, the judges didn't say it was an illegal jump, but didn't quite accept it as legal either and deducted points for the move.
+Isabella Arce - She was amazing. I loved her from the second I first saw her perform. I was like "now that's an athlete"! :) I loved the way she bent the rules and did what she wanted.
+MLMLW Absolutely! To be completely honest with you, I don't think she would have cared if the judges ruled it as illegal, because she did that after an injury and made herself memorable in the eyes of enthusiasts. She made herself stand out an be known, and she fought harder than everyone else for her places in competition. She's just so wonderful!!
Losers on Netflix has an episode about Bonaly's performance here. Apparently some other elements often left out of the story are that she ruptured her achilles tendon prior to this season's olympics and was in a lot of pain before she even went on the ice, which is part of what led to her fall early in the program. It also makes the backflip that much more impressive and ridiculous.
Rafazzel your right, but also, Caucasians, African Americans and other races believed that she was cheated out of the gold metal. You cannot land on 2 blades but you can land on one. No one else in the world was able to do that but her.
She should have WON. I am a white American, and I only WISH she could have been American and skated for us!! She should have won GOLD for her country. No other skater has been able to do what she can; and no other female skater has shown her power or spunk on the ice.
whitney Murison she should not have won. I admit that her backflip is amazing and no one else has recreated it [although that's probably mostly due to the fact that its not illegal] but her performance was not good otherwise. She stumbled on most of her jumps, and the ones she did land were questionable. The artistic side of skating is also important, though subjective, and she does not seem to have that particular capability.
Arya Shadeslayer at that time and still to this day i think, the backflip is illegal to perform in competition in figure skating due to how dangerous it is to perform it, she did it as a "fuck you" to the judges cause they were screwing her over since the beginning of her career due to her skin color
+Tembilocke She didn't win because her performances weren't the best. Great Skater, but race had nothing to do with her losing due to poor performances
I love this girl.....Zero fucks given about the judges. She's like fuck your rules....I'm gonna do this damn back flip for the fans. I love how they're like illegal back flip like it's common or something when no other skater has done it, or even attempted to do it. Girl should be in the hall of fame.....Guinness book or something.
+Blakestefer After an injury mind you. The judges were commenting how far she was pushing her body, and there was speculation that it contributed to her messing up the triple salcow, which she then proceeded to successfully do later in the program. Her succeeding in that "illegal" move should be legendary.
To pretend that race played no part in the tepid response to her presence is idiotic. Every aspect of life is colored by race, and sport is no exception. Surya is a shining example of #BlackGirlMagic.
there would be a lot of Native Girl magic had most of them not been massacred by whites... heart , skill and determination make a fine athlete, the race of the person means little to nothing... native american mix
She's an athlete. I think it's amazing how girls like her can show stunning athleticism and still be treated subpar bc of racism and classism. It's fucked up.
To make such a claim without evidence other than your own projection is idiotic. She didn't win 1st place because while athletic, she wasn't as graceful as her peer.
Stunning. All the more impressive when you consider that she was in agonizing pain from a pulled muscle in her left leg, and a previous injury to her achilles tendon.
Thanks RadioLab for drawing attention to this amazing women and her story. If the backflip was indeed a message, looks like it was received. I admire her spirit.
***** She's said in interviews that "getting attention" was not her intention at that moment. I just think it's fucked up that almost before she landed the commentators announced that they knew what her motivation was.
+Tremolo that announcer was Scott Hamilton he was a male who also used to do the backflip and the reason that he said that was because the backflip was not an element that was judged in competition so if you did it it was only for entertainment purposes because you're not going to get scored on it so that's what he meant when he said he did she did it to wow the crowd because she's not gonna get any points for that backflip just like he didn't get any points for. The backflip when he did it in his routine.
LEDANCETHERAPY But, like, as I said, she has said in interviews that that was not her intention, so he was wrong. His snap judgement about her intentions was wrong; that's my point.
Dicembre 2019, rivedere la grande Surya Bonaly, è sempre bellissimo ed emozionante, anche se sono passati "un po' di anni " rimane una delle più brave nel pattinaggio, in questo contesto, sembrava spesso una trottola impazzita, ha un sacco di energia, è strepitosa!
qalaquendi2 Surya Bonaly "backflip one-foot landing" was a move meant to assert her ability as an athlete in the figure-skating world. It was an incredible move that no other athlete (male/female...living/dead) has been able to emulate and she should be recognized for pulling off one hell of an amazing feat. We all knew she wasn't going to take a medal home after missing a few beats in her routine but we all rooted for her when she defiantly did that backflip and landed on one foot. So whatever point you're trying to make isn't flying the mustard-test with me. Secondly, common sense dictates that any "host" city for the Olympic figure-skating event would want contestants that attract an international audience. The contestants ability to perform a flawless, technically difficult and artistic routine and the story behind their Olympic journey are gimmicks host cities, and programs use to attract an audience...and contestants alike. A contestant performing a backflip is the least of the "host" cities worries. Thirdly, figure skating athletes do not wear protective gear. And lastly, the "backflip" was banned because of another (unspecified move). Although the move can be physically risky for the "contestant", it was never proven to cause any safety risks in the rink or to other onlookers in the audience. Bottom line, if you're going to make an effort to belittle an outstanding athletic feat, the least you could do is spend a little energy studying the subject before sharing your opinions.
+Tucker yep, love radiolab! I want to smack the commentator because of what he says right afterwards! He sounds like a jealous prick in fact! You can hear it all in his voice like a kid who's jealous of another kid!
I remember watching this live and GASPING when she landed it and you’d have thought I hit the lottery when she finished..... THIS WAS DEFINING MOMENT OF GREATNESS!!
Wouldn't it have just been awesome if when she raised her hand at the end she did it toward the judges with a middle finger? That would have been poetry :p
Amazing young girl! Aupa Surya! J’étais devant ma tv et dégoûtée avec toi! Mais tu vois c de toi qu’on se souvient! Aupa Surya the best ever🙏❤️🙏🤸🏾♀️🤸🏾♀️🦋💫🌈☮️
I was going to say something different in the comment section but as I start reading the comments I became overwhelmed with happiness from the love shared hear Usually I have to scroll pass a bunch of ignorance but all I see is❤️ That makes me so happy I feel like my prayers are working 1 love ❤️ ❤️
A beautiful soul with a beautiful heart. Deserved gold and more she should go down in Hall of Fame. If individual ice skating had a Hall of Fame she should go down in first place. Unfortunately she was judged not by her perfect ability to perform and exceed above the average just because of the color of her skin. She's a beautiful warrior for women no matter what color. ❤️
Exactly ! She never made a single mistake. So élégant, so slim, so graceful. She has it all. Way above any other skater in the World that ever existed and ever will. She dhould have won every single compétition, dhould have been showered with gold and diamonds. White people are jalous of her perfection. Her figure, the delicate features of her sublime face. She on racist judges.
Just adding to those who may have said the same, but that main commentator seemed to be giving very backhanded compliments. Particularly after her backflip. Reading more of the details about this, the other incidents, and comparing her career record, I can understand why she retired in 98'.
Watched dis after watching losers documentary frm Netflix... Surya.. u d best 10/10 be strong.. 👍🏿 May Allah give u Iman n success in dis life n nxt.. a very patient lady 👍🏿
I know everyone has their personal favorites and opinions-I LOVE Suya Bonaly!! Amazing skater and kicks ass...artistically and facial expressions=amazing and way to kick ASS on that one blade back-flip landing!! Remember seeing this in high school and rooting for her during the Olympics ;)
This woman is a legend. More power, more skill than any of these judges will ever acknowledge. Blackflip in the layout position landed on ONE skate? AMEN, girl. Finishing with her back to the Judges? Perfection. J'adore Surya.
Guilty! Here because of Radiolab. I thoroughly enjoy listening to them. I feel it helps stimulate my mind. However, sometimes I have trouble understanding exactly what it is they're explaining. So now I'm here. Now back to the Lab...
Even if we found out about Surya from Radiolab, we aren't here because of Radiolab, we are here because of Surya. She is Amazing. She is Gold. She has broke the glass ceiling. What an inspiration. In some many ways.
Man, I remember watching this year ago when I was super young little girl and her performance stuck to me the most because she did that AMAZING backflip. To this day I remember it and I wanted to see if it was on youtube. She's so awesome. 😍
I always loved her as a kid. She was THE most under-rated skater of her time. It's a shame she never got the recognition for being the powerful performer and athlete she was.
I remember when this olympics was actually happening. The announcer did comment on her backflip. Big time. It was just after this video is cut. During the playback, they speculated with awe that she was the only person in the world who could do the backflip as she did. And in the clip, he seemed to admire her spirit and tenacity where her form was perhaps having an off day. While the flaws in her performance could not be ignored (it is the Olympics, afterall), the commenators summed it up with admiration after this video ended.
Of course they didn't include that part of the footage because then it wouldn't of been controversial the announcer is Scott Hamilton he's a total sweetheart and I don't me that he himself was one of the man that did the backflip in his routine so he knew that she wasn't going to get points for it because that wasn't part of the criteria for the competition because he himself didn't get points for the backflip that's what he meant when he said wow the crowd because the backflip is only there for show.
Amazing woman. LOVE it that she dissed the judges with that backflip. After being robbed so many times she was like, “forget you, you, and you!” Netflix documentary caused me to shed a tear.
She was the absolute best in terms of athletics and entertaining/exciting to watch. The GOAT (I know this gets tossed around a lot but it fits here). 💕
WOW... QUELLE PERFORMANCE!!! COMMENT SE FAIT-IL QUE MÊME AVEC TOUT LE TALENT QUE CETTE JEUNE FEMME A, ELLE SOIT VICTIME DE RACISME ET QU'ELLE N'AIE JAMAIS EU LA MÉDAILLE D'OR??? CES HOMMES BLANCS...QUAND MÊME, FAUT DÉPASSER CES ATTITUDES DE DINOSAURES!!! ET CE SALTO ARRIÈRE...ÉPOUSTOUFLAN!!!
To the people saying she only got 10th because of her race - you are wrong. Bonaly got tenth because she clunked out in various technical elements and she has a very hard time scoring presentation points, because there is often very little choreography and what she does do is disjointed, as the commentators mentioned. I think she was a very admirable skater and I admire her for some of the moves she could do but it is unreasonable to suggest that race is the only reason she failed.
Leah Rose I’m not even an ice skating person but even I could tell that some of her moves were not the greatest. She’s not like a tiger woods, Tom Brady or a Muhammad Ali of her sport. She’s more like a Tim Tebow.
Who cares if she wasn't an ice skating princess, she was an ice skating warrior who SLAYED.❤️❤️🔥
Angel Lina she was instead a Ice Queen!
She was such a powerhouse. A true athlete, she was just simply too good for this sport and people knew that. Everyone will always remember her whether they hated or loved her. She will always remain a BAD BITCH in my book.❤️
Calling her a warrior only makes her sound aggressive and masculine, that was racist and cringe
lkji xddfgvb thank you and that’s the reason why they didn’t accept her in this sport. Black womens bodies are seen as masculine and rough. She was graceful and soft in all her pieces.
@@aoifghfbrbeaubidjksn3533 just shut up
DO YOU REALISE HOW BADASS THAT WAS?! SHE HAD JUST RECOVERED FROM ACHILLES DAMAGE
That impresses me more than the backflip how these athletes go through these extreme injuries and come back and compete in the Olympics amazing
ReeryRed Love Plus, with all of those jumps she must have been really tired. She slayed
@sp4c3 fr0g who cares
Her doing a backflip was her version of a middle finger to the judges for under scoring her in the short program.
She went on NPR denying that
And she ended her program with her back to the judges. LOL!
She wasn’t underscored: compared to her top competitors, she skated very well but on much lower level of difficulty in terms of jumps (3T-3T and 3S).
The best "F.U." in Olympics sports history!
I'm surprised she didn't scream "F**k You Judges!" as she left the ice! I love her!
This woman was a BAD ASS. They should make a film about her. Quite a woman.
Allen Quinn I've met her before she's angreat coach
Nah they'd only make a movie about her if she had her rivals beaten up with a crowbar
Guys at Netflix are working on a documentary about her career. 2 documentaries already exist about her, one produced by Eva Longoria
Es porque es negra verdad :"V
Adivina que dice este comentario si lo adivinas te doy un like y ya xD
FYI- the Netflix mini-doc is out. Show is called Losers. Season 1 Ep 3.
As she turns her back to the judges panel and salutes the audience first. #BADASS
No one ever showed her tenacity or power on the ice. Badass is RIGHT. No other PERSON can do what she can on the ice. She SO deserved GOLD!
The backflip she performed is illegal not only because of the extreme danger, but also because those who used it in choreography landed on both feet, while you're supposed to land jumps on one. She had recently recieved a first place tie with another skater, Yuka Sato, and the judges gave the gold to the other, cheating her out of a win. She refused to take her place in second and, with no practice, performed a backflip and landed on ONE foot as a final "fuck you" to the judges, obviously due to their race-centered treatment of Surya. She made an illegal, life threatening and nearly impossible move not only possible but technically legal in one of the hardest sports in the world.
qionne edwards I think the skater who won here was Asian not white. Yuka something
my apologies. The first place winner was Japan's Yuka Sato.
lmao made it about race when it wasnt about race, believe it or not just because a black person doesn't get first place doesn't mean it was because the world is out to get white people ahead of black people. She lost to an Asian, which is a pretty significant distinction. It wasn't about race either, they didn't secretly prefer less melanin, they preferred more refined techniques and thats why the Asian girl won. She'd do better in gymnastics than in iceskating.
It was just another case of we will settle for any other ethnicity to win ... to do the impossible should get you the win espicllaly if in one case it was a tie...I would of gave it to the person who did the impossible and unthinkable.
Let's face it - she wasn't taking some noble stand against racism...she was just pissed that she didn't get 1st, was too full of herself to accept 2nd, and wanted to get revenge by embarrassing the judges. Understandable? Yes. Heroic? No.
She's too good for this sport.
vaka ikr
She's too good for this whole damn world tbh
vaka AGREED!!!! Nicely put.
For sure!!!!!!
vaka: she is to good for this sport
Surya: *falls multiple times*
Me: welp.. shit
I remember this but I didn't realize it was such a big thing. Like NO ONE has ever done a 1 bladed backflip since, male or female.
M LT
Actually it was illegal to do a backflip and land on two blades. What Surya did was not technically illegal, but the judges deducted points anyway because they're racist pricks that had been giving her low scores for her entire career. Eventually just backflips in general became illegal.
-Backflips are illegal, but only landing on 2 skates since landing on one was just assumed to be so impossible that they won't even cover it-
-Backflips and lands on 1 skate, not illegal, they couldn't discount it-
What a legend.
I LOVE Surya Bonaly. The landing on one skate was her last appearance as a competitive ice skater. She hurt her leg the day before and they wanted to pull her out but she said no, then gets on the ice and performs like a bad ass! They said that her trick move is illegal because nobody can do it and it's dangerous! Hello! Surya did it!! I think there should be an "athletic" skating event so unconventional skaters can compete. Those snobby ice skating judges never saw her for what she was. And that was a beautiful performer.
Technically, it was legal because it landed on ONE foot!! Not only was she talented- But she knew she could get away with it! What a clever, talented woman!
Genie oftheLamp it still wasn't legal even landed on one foot.
+mehtotheworld Technically, it was. She landed on one foot, so it counted as a jump instead of a backflip (backflips were landed on two). Because it was technically legal, the judges didn't say it was an illegal jump, but didn't quite accept it as legal either and deducted points for the move.
+Isabella Arce - She was amazing. I loved her from the second I first saw her perform. I was like "now that's an athlete"! :) I loved the way she bent the rules and did what she wanted.
+MLMLW Absolutely! To be completely honest with you, I don't think she would have cared if the judges ruled it as illegal, because she did that after an injury and made herself memorable in the eyes of enthusiasts. She made herself stand out an be known, and she fought harder than everyone else for her places in competition. She's just so wonderful!!
Losers on Netflix has an episode about Bonaly's performance here. Apparently some other elements often left out of the story are that she ruptured her achilles tendon prior to this season's olympics and was in a lot of pain before she even went on the ice, which is part of what led to her fall early in the program.
It also makes the backflip that much more impressive and ridiculous.
the anticipation for that backflip nearly killed me :O amazing!
Same
wow i cant believe iv never even heard of her before. tumblr brought me here. So fantastic! :)
Its because she is black and an innovator.
Rafazzel your right, but also, Caucasians, African Americans and other races believed that she was cheated out of the gold metal. You cannot land on 2 blades but you can land on one. No one else in the world was able to do that but her.
She should have WON. I am a white American, and I only WISH she could have been American and skated for us!! She should have won GOLD for her country. No other skater has been able to do what she can; and no other female skater has shown her power or spunk on the ice.
whitney Murison You are obviously too stupid to understand skating. She was no way going to win gold, she could barely skate correctly
whitney Murison she should not have won. I admit that her backflip is amazing and no one else has recreated it [although that's probably mostly due to the fact that its not illegal] but her performance was not good otherwise. She stumbled on most of her jumps, and the ones she did land were questionable. The artistic side of skating is also important, though subjective, and she does not seem to have that particular capability.
She is.... Goodness me she is phenomenal! She's beauty, she's grace, she's a freaking goddess of ice. She should've gotten that gold medal.
Arya Shadeslayer at that time and still to this day i think, the backflip is illegal to perform in competition in figure skating due to how dangerous it is to perform it, she did it as a "fuck you" to the judges cause they were screwing her over since the beginning of her career due to her skin color
I know, but still >.> The rest of the program was amazing too! I wish people weren't like /that/ towards people of color.
+Tembilocke She didn't win because her performances weren't the best. Great Skater, but race had nothing to do with her losing due to poor performances
I have to disagree. Did you see Tara Lipinki's programs?
zalera262 but the winner was Asian so I don't think it has to do with race
I love this girl.....Zero fucks given about the judges. She's like fuck your rules....I'm gonna do this damn back flip for the fans. I love how they're like illegal back flip like it's common or something when no other skater has done it, or even attempted to do it. Girl should be in the hall of fame.....Guinness book or something.
.
+Blakestefer receipts?
+Blakestefer but imagine doing a backflip on ice after skating around and doing tricks endlessly in front of everyone. Must be hard and tiring.
+Blakestefer tell me who does that and land on one foot
+Blakestefer After an injury mind you. The judges were commenting how far she was pushing her body, and there was speculation that it contributed to her messing up the triple salcow, which she then proceeded to successfully do later in the program. Her succeeding in that "illegal" move should be legendary.
To pretend that race played no part in the tepid response to her presence is idiotic. Every aspect of life is colored by race, and sport is no exception. Surya is a shining example of #BlackGirlMagic.
there would be a lot of Native Girl magic had most of them not been massacred by whites...
heart , skill and determination make a fine athlete, the race of the person means little to nothing...
native american mix
1besieged she said black girl magic. Please coin your own terms.
She's an athlete. I think it's amazing how girls like her can show stunning athleticism and still be treated subpar bc of racism and classism. It's fucked up.
Agreeeeed 999999999%!
To make such a claim without evidence other than your own projection is idiotic. She didn't win 1st place because while athletic, she wasn't as graceful as her peer.
Stunning. All the more impressive when you consider that she was in agonizing pain from a pulled muscle in her left leg, and a previous injury to her achilles tendon.
3:28 is one of the most athletic things I've ever seen.
I can't even walk without falling
Hahahaha
Thanks RadioLab for drawing attention to this amazing women and her story. If the backflip was indeed a message, looks like it was received. I admire her spirit.
I love how she even finishes facing towards the crowd and away from the judge. What a boss.
She's freaking amazing! and look at her legs :o I'm sooo jealous lol
Shot out to RadioLab for bringing me here.
The commentators *immediately* decided that her intentions with the backflip was to get attention.
***** She's said in interviews that "getting attention" was not her intention at that moment. I just think it's fucked up that almost before she landed the commentators announced that they knew what her motivation was.
+Tremolo that announcer was Scott Hamilton he was a male who also used to do the backflip and the reason that he said that was because the backflip was not an element that was judged in competition so if you did it it was only for entertainment purposes because you're not going to get scored on it so that's what he meant when he said he did she did it to wow the crowd because she's not gonna get any points for that backflip just like he didn't get any points for. The backflip when he did it in his routine.
LEDANCETHERAPY But, like, as I said, she has said in interviews that that was not her intention, so he was wrong. His snap judgement about her intentions was wrong; that's my point.
I watched it live. It was an F-You to the judges that said she didn't fully rotate her signature move earlier.
Tremolo big fucking deal get over it
Dicembre 2019, rivedere la grande Surya Bonaly, è sempre bellissimo ed emozionante, anche se sono passati "un po' di anni " rimane una delle più brave nel pattinaggio, in questo contesto, sembrava spesso una trottola impazzita, ha un sacco di energia, è strepitosa!
Gotta love her IDGAF attitude. She did what she was good at! Total respect for her.
qalaquendi2 Surya Bonaly "backflip one-foot landing" was a move meant to assert her ability as an athlete in the figure-skating world. It was an incredible move that no other athlete (male/female...living/dead) has been able to emulate and she should be recognized for pulling off one hell of an amazing feat. We all knew she wasn't going to take a medal home after missing a few beats in her routine but we all rooted for her when she defiantly did that backflip and landed on one foot. So whatever point you're trying to make isn't flying the mustard-test with me.
Secondly, common sense dictates that any "host" city for the Olympic figure-skating event would want contestants that attract an international audience. The contestants ability to perform a flawless, technically difficult and artistic routine and the story behind their Olympic journey are gimmicks host cities, and programs use to attract an audience...and contestants alike. A contestant performing a backflip is the least of the "host" cities worries. Thirdly, figure skating athletes do not wear protective gear. And lastly, the "backflip" was banned because of another (unspecified move). Although the move can be physically risky for the "contestant", it was never proven to cause any safety risks in the rink or to other onlookers in the audience.
Bottom line, if you're going to make an effort to belittle an outstanding athletic feat, the least you could do is spend a little energy studying the subject before sharing your opinions.
No doubt the backflip with the 1 foot landing was incredible.
Radiolab brought me here. That was astonishing!!
Yeah me too I had to see this
she is a fucking boss
3:28 if you're here from Radiolab.
Yep
+Tucker yep, love radiolab! I want to smack the commentator because of what he says right afterwards! He sounds like a jealous prick in fact! You can hear it all in his voice like a kid who's jealous of another kid!
I saw your comment too late... I watched the whole thing :(
Yep. Watched the whole thing. Can't just skip to the flip.
Here from Radiolab... to watch the whole performance.
I remember watching this live and GASPING when she landed it and you’d have thought I hit the lottery when she finished..... THIS WAS DEFINING MOMENT OF GREATNESS!!
My god that was amazing. A freaking back flip on Ice with one skate, absolutely incredible.
Danielle S and while injured!
That.was.AMAZING!!!! Lands on ONE skate!!
Eric Koontz yep not only the 3 male skaters who did that landed on two.
I remember watching this live. It was just epic.
Wouldn't it have just been awesome if when she raised her hand at the end she did it toward the judges with a middle finger? That would have been poetry :p
Artistic merit 6.0
Haha she didn't need to. That backflip was a big eff you already
It was more subtle, but what she actually did is even better. She deliberately ended with her back to the judges. That hand isn't for them at all.
She flipped them off literally
poetry is about suggesting, saying things indirectly, the backflip was a enough of a poetic middle finger ;)
Greed/cheaters tried to break her, she made her own history!! Which we know is priceless!!!!
God bless you WOMEN ❤❤❤❤
Amazing skater, just amazing. If you can do what NO ONE else can, is that not the definition of being the best?? She broke the damn mold.
Amazing young girl! Aupa Surya! J’étais devant ma tv et dégoûtée avec toi! Mais tu vois c de toi qu’on se souvient! Aupa Surya the best ever🙏❤️🙏🤸🏾♀️🤸🏾♀️🦋💫🌈☮️
judges : *insert subtle racist excuse here to deny her 1st place*
^Surya's skating career in a nutshell
Like an illegal jump and falling?
"Career", not this performance.
No. For the fact she deserved first place and it was given to a white chick.
Peony an Asian chick
Typical victim mentality
Beautiful amazing and full of elegance. You can tell she knows who she is and what she can do. Absolutely stunning.
You're full of baloney and obviously know very little about figure skating!
Badass move, badass statement! And according to the commentator coming back after an achilles' injury, which mostly is a career ender. Mad respect!
watching in 2016 still pretty amazed by this
OMG, the back flip landing on one leg.
Seen her full story on Netflix series called “Losers” Great athlete and a great life story.
Talk about the motherfucking video and the insane backflip she did. Not where you came to this video from.
apparently she was injured for this performance as well
She was. She injured her leg training a little while before her performance. Her coach told her to not to it but she did anyway.
GO SURYA!
And thank you, Radiolab, for bringing me here, too!
I was going to say something different in the comment section but as I start reading the comments I became overwhelmed with happiness from the love shared hear Usually I have to scroll pass a bunch of ignorance but all I see is❤️ That makes me so happy I feel like my prayers are working 1 love ❤️ ❤️
Me too. Thaks Radiolab. Surya deserved better thn she got.
A beautiful soul with a beautiful heart. Deserved gold and more she should go down in Hall of Fame. If individual ice skating had a Hall of Fame she should go down in first place. Unfortunately she was judged not by her perfect ability to perform and exceed above the average just because of the color of her skin. She's a beautiful warrior for women no matter what color. ❤️
Exactly !
She never made a single mistake.
So élégant, so slim, so graceful.
She has it all.
Way above any other skater in the World that ever existed and ever will.
She dhould have won every single compétition, dhould have been showered with gold and diamonds.
White people are jalous of her perfection.
Her figure, the delicate features of her sublime face.
She on racist judges.
defiance..... When you know your too good to be judged by scumbags
She was on her element, ecstatic, magnificent, wonderful ♥️ watched her over and over...
Your fav could NEVER. 💃🏿
You can feel how motivated she was. I'm speechless, how amazing
Just adding to those who may have said the same, but that main commentator seemed to be giving very backhanded compliments. Particularly after her backflip. Reading more of the details about this, the other incidents, and comparing her career record, I can understand why she retired in 98'.
Laura.eres imprecionante.los giros son espectaculares.errs una precioss niña.admiro tu capacidad.sigue adelante .lograras tus objetivos.un abrazo
I cried watching this. She's a queen
Watched dis after watching losers documentary frm Netflix... Surya.. u d best 10/10 be strong.. 👍🏿 May Allah give u Iman n success in dis life n nxt.. a very patient lady 👍🏿
She’s probably the most famous figure skater. We remember her for years, we don’t remember the others that won after year two.
I know everyone has their personal favorites and opinions-I LOVE Suya Bonaly!! Amazing skater and kicks ass...artistically and facial expressions=amazing and way to kick ASS on that one blade back-flip landing!! Remember seeing this in high school and rooting for her during the Olympics ;)
I'm still spellbound by this feat. Friggin' awesome!!!
This woman is a legend. More power, more skill than any of these judges will ever acknowledge. Blackflip in the layout position landed on ONE skate? AMEN, girl.
Finishing with her back to the Judges? Perfection.
J'adore Surya.
I'm just here from tumblr guys... tf is radio lab?
A popular podcast that does audio documentaries, one of their episodes was on her performance and career in ice skating.
She's so amazing, I wish the video quality was better to fully do her justice.
Guilty! Here because of Radiolab. I thoroughly enjoy listening to them. I feel it helps stimulate my mind. However, sometimes I have trouble understanding exactly what it is they're explaining. So now I'm here. Now back to the Lab...
Elle est trop forte 👍💕💕💕💕💕💘
Even if we found out about Surya from Radiolab, we aren't here because of Radiolab, we are here because of Surya. She is Amazing. She is Gold. She has broke the glass ceiling. What an inspiration. In some many ways.
Fabuleux ! La vraie championne olympique de 1998 !
she is a hero in my books. Thanks to radiolab for the story. Great stuff.
Ouaw je ne l’avais jamais revu, elle est vraiment incroyable 😊
amazing radiolab episode - even greater back flip from Surya.
Man, I remember watching this year ago when I was super young little girl and her performance stuck to me the most because she did that AMAZING backflip. To this day I remember it and I wanted to see if it was on youtube. She's so awesome. 😍
Thumbs up if u r here because of radiolab
+Sunil Shahi why?
Me too
yea
Me too!! Yay!!
+Sunil Shahi :) yes!
I always loved her as a kid. She was THE most under-rated skater of her time. It's a shame she never got the recognition for being the powerful performer and athlete she was.
SHE DID A FLIP
This is so incredible everything about her and this backflip they should make a movie about it it’s just surreal and she’s a total badass i love her
I remember when this olympics was actually happening. The announcer did comment on her backflip. Big time. It was just after this video is cut. During the playback, they speculated with awe that she was the only person in the world who could do the backflip as she did. And in the clip, he seemed to admire her spirit and tenacity where her form was perhaps having an off day. While the flaws in her performance could not be ignored (it is the Olympics, afterall), the commenators summed it up with admiration after this video ended.
Of course they didn't include that part of the footage because then it wouldn't of been controversial the announcer is Scott Hamilton he's a total sweetheart and I don't me that he himself was one of the man that did the backflip in his routine so he knew that she wasn't going to get points for it because that wasn't part of the criteria for the competition because he himself didn't get points for the backflip that's what he meant when he said wow the crowd because the backflip is only there for show.
Ice skating is terrifying. One wrong move and that’s a broken neck. This is amazing
A true artiste extraordinaire... LOL
Holy shit, i never knew figure skating could be this beautiful.
I'm glad she got to do this and prove to everyone that she is an amazing skater.
I shiver all over..this skater is amazing
Woah and she did it all with those huge earings!
She was punk rock of skating. I adored watching her!
LOL That judge was hating soooo hard its comical. "She totally going to get nailed!" He can't wait! Awesome display of athleticism!
Surya is an absolute legend. So much personality and presence (not to mention talent). I watch this again and again.
Everyone is like RADIOLAB ! Im like.. Thanks Cosmopolitan
Ahhh same came from Cosmo on Snapchat
literally me right now
Same hahaha
Same hahah
Radio lab>>Cosmo
Love her..I remember watching ice skating as a kid and thinking she was so cool. Bonus points for that middle finger to the judges.
Thanks RadioLab
She is a LIVING LEGEND!!!! I'm so proud of her :)
Radio lab strikes again ♡
Amazing woman. LOVE it that she dissed the judges with that backflip.
After being robbed so many times she was like, “forget you, you, and you!”
Netflix documentary caused me to shed a tear.
thanks radiolab! thanks surya for showing us to never give up!
She glided so well, freely and must say powerfully too...she was a real Athlete...woow!!!
Jesus Christ that was amazing.
She was the absolute best in terms of athletics and entertaining/exciting to watch. The GOAT (I know this gets tossed around a lot but it fits here). 💕
That was wild from the start to the end!!!!!!!
WOW... QUELLE PERFORMANCE!!! COMMENT SE FAIT-IL QUE MÊME AVEC TOUT LE TALENT QUE CETTE JEUNE FEMME A, ELLE SOIT VICTIME DE RACISME ET QU'ELLE N'AIE JAMAIS EU LA MÉDAILLE D'OR??? CES HOMMES BLANCS...QUAND MÊME, FAUT DÉPASSER CES ATTITUDES DE DINOSAURES!!! ET CE SALTO ARRIÈRE...ÉPOUSTOUFLAN!!!
To the people saying she only got 10th because of her race - you are wrong. Bonaly got tenth because she clunked out in various technical elements and she has a very hard time scoring presentation points, because there is often very little choreography and what she does do is disjointed, as the commentators mentioned. I think she was a very admirable skater and I admire her for some of the moves she could do but it is unreasonable to suggest that race is the only reason she failed.
Leah Rose I’m not even an ice skating person but even I could tell that some of her moves were not the greatest. She’s not like a tiger woods, Tom Brady or a Muhammad Ali of her sport. She’s more like a Tim Tebow.
I loved her so much in 90s, it feels so good to see her again by youtube, I love youtube