Hidden Figures: Surya Bonaly (Patreon)

Hidden Figures: Surya Bonaly

Surya Bonaly was born in Nice, France on December 15, 1973. Initially named Claudine, she was adopted at 18 months old by Suzanne and Georges Bonaly, who gave her the name Surya. Bonaly was originally a competitive gymnast, and began skating as an eleven-year-old in Nice, in 1985, before relocating to Paris. Early media reports said that her coach Didier Gailhaguet discovered Bonaly at a public session, but years later, she said she had wanted to skate in Gailhaguet's competitive skating group and actually asked to participate. She broke both wrists before learning how to fall properly. Bonaly finished 14th at her first ISU Championship, the 1988 Junior Worlds in Brisbane, Australia. The following season, Bonaly won the bronze medal at 1989 World Junior Championships and her first senior national title. She also began appearing on the senior level, placing eighth at the 1989 European Championships and tenth at 1989 World Championships. In January 1992, Bonaly outscored Kielmann and Patricia Neske for the gold medal at the European Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland. In February 1992, she took the Athlete's Oath at the Winter Olympics in Albertville, France. During a practice session, she landed a back flip near Japan's Midori Ito and was told by officials not to do it again. She became the first and only female to attempt a quadruple toe loop in competition but the jump was not fully rotated in the air and she had to complete the rotation on the ice, making it a triple and not a quadruple. She finished fifth. At the 1994 World Championships in Chiba, Japan – where the three Olympic medalists did not compete – Bonaly's final overall score was equal to home country favorite Yuka Sato, who would be awarded the gold medal after a 5-4 tiebreaker decision. Upset by the result, Bonaly stood beside the medals platform rather than on it. She eventually stepped onto the platform but took off her silver medal after it was presented to her. During the 1997–98 season, Bonaly was coached by Suzanne Bonaly and Tatiana Tarasova in Marlborough, USA. At the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, Bonaly finished well out of reach of the gold medal following the short program. Unable to complete her planned routine due to injury, Bonaly decided to perform her backflip landing on one blade during the free skate. The move, illegal in competition, caused a stir and resulted in a deduction but Bonaly was content with her decision. She finished tenth in Nagano and retired from competition after the event. As of September 2016, Bonaly is coaching in Minnesota. #SuryaBonaly #HiddenFigures ****************** Merchandise! MAKE SURE U GETTA SHIRT!! https://www.teepublic.com/user/sssseren Follow me on social media! Twitter: @seren_sensei Instagram: @sensei_aishitemasu Tumblr: http://sensei-aishitemasu.tumblr.com Snapchat: sssseren GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/tc5wh7q Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/seren_sensei ****************** Did you know I wrote a book? ☺️ 'So, About That... A Year of Contemporary Essays on Race and Pop Culture' Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/About-That-Contemporary-Essays-Culture-ebook/dp/B013V0CHK6 Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013V0CHK6 Digital download (e-book): https://gumroad.com/l/IkUa ****************** Links: 'The Rebellious, Back-Flipping Black Figure Skater Who Changed the Sport Forever:' https://newrepublic.com/article/122561/back-flipping-black-figure-skater-who-changed-sport-forever '9 Reasons Why No One Compares To Figure Skater Surya Bonaly:' http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/15/surya-bonaly-birthday-figure-skater_n_6327092.html 'How French figure skater Surya Bonaly has swapped Paris for a quiet life in MINNESOTA, 18 years after captivating the world with a back flip at the Olympics:' http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4078970/French-figure-Skater-Surya-Bonaly-living-MINNESOTA-18-years-captivating-world-landed-flip-ice-competing-Winter-Olympics.html#ixzz4scsMr1YG 'Surya Bonaly - Olympic Figure Skater:' https://blackhistory365.wordpress.com/2014/02/08/surya-bonaly-olympic-figure-skater/ Surya Bonaly: The Only Female Figure Skater To EVER Do The Dangerous Illegal Backflip! (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbuNfAScAfU Surya Bonaly (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surya_Bonaly