Bonaly participated in three Winter Olympics, and though she never medalled at the Games, she is still considered one of the greats from the sport, as the five-time European champion and winner of . "You always need someone to be the first to do something. I was like, "Oh, okay. Tracie Hunte: After that, it's just triple, triple, triple, triple, triple. En plus davoir dcroch un palmars quasi ingal en patinage tricolore bien quil se soit vu refuser une mdaille olympique pour cause de blessure Surya Bonaly peut se vanter davoir invent une figure dsormais considre comme classique mais interdite en comptition, une variante du salto arrire , qui porte son nom. Latif Nasser: She said that she backed Surya. Latif Nasser: What was going on? I keep my eyes open. Also, she says you're supposed to land all your jumps on one foot. Shows like Radiolab. No? Everything is about edges and leaning into those edges and leaning into the turns, and carving massive circles on the ice. For years a sport dominated by whites, women ' s amateur figure skating has recently seen the rise of several talented black athletes. Bonaly participated in three Winter Olympics, and though she never medalled at the Games, she is still considered one of the greats from the sport, as the five-time European champion and winner of three silver medals in the World Figure Skating Championships. Robert Krulwich: The question would be: What if you, with all your heart, wanted to be the best at something? Depending upon the beholder, Surya Bonaly is the most gifted and athletic figure skater in the world today, or she is a unique but squandered talent whose career seems destined to stall at. Latif Nasser: After she gets her scores. TV Announcers: There it is, she's got it! And that is our sport, which leads to Surya. TV Announcers: I think this is a form of protest. And we had three possibilities. The installment covered Bonaly facing racism in a primarily white sport and her decision to do a backflip at the Olympics, even though it was not allowed. So there's no obvious thing about it, but it can make you feel a little paranoid, a little crazy. Born in Nice, France, Bonaly, who is black, was adopted by white parents and grew up in a world where she felt she had to try harder. Tracie Hunte: A lot of them were like, "Eh". Marie-Renie Le: And the majority of the people didn't want a black skater as-. La petite fille a t adopte par Suzanne et Georges Bonaly alors qu'elle avait huit mois, et elle n'est jamais alle l'cole tant elle tait bien protge. Devenue la premire femme russir un quadruple saut aux Jeux olympiques, qui ont eu lieu pendant la comptition par quipe. Skater Eric Heiden Won 5 Gold Medals, Then Became a Doctor. It must be a very confusing situation to be in. She is a notable French-American professional figure skater best known for her unique skating style and bold jumps. Surya Bonaly (5139144733).jpg 735 922; 621 KB. It's super slushy. In the 1990s, Surya Bonaly was the rising star of figure skating. This week, we lace up our skates and tell a story about loving a sport that doesnt love you back, and being judged in front of the world according to rules you dont understand. He says something, but you can't hear what it is. Her name was given by her adopted parents Surya Varuna Claudine Bonaly. So okay, so we're starting in 1998. Next skater. Met Surya at Juniors, 1990. Especially impressive is Janet Champion doing a string of 10 back handsprings . Surya Bonaly: Oh, the World Championships? Latif Nasser: Cause it's really dangerous. Tracie Hunte: She would do back flips, hands-. As Surya blows up, and all these people who never liked figure skating fall in love with her, over and over-. I can't imagine what it must be like, well I can imagine what it must be like. Linsigne de Chevalier de lordre de la Lgion dhonneur, dcern lancien athlte franais deux jours plus tard, tait un cadeau inestimable du peuple franais. Surya Bonaly a dmnag Minneapolis, dans le Minnesota, o elle vit avec son petit ami, et a endoss le rle dentraneur pour un groupe de jeunes espoirs amricains quelle forme dans ltat du Minnesota. Tracie Hunte: Well, after a couple years of getting these kinds of marks, she does some soul searching. if( 'moc.enilnoefiltseb' !== location.hostname.split('').reverse().join('') ) { ", Bonaly told The Root that she thinks one of the reasons there haven't been a lot of Black skaters is because they think "skating [and other winter sports] are just for whites." She's French, 24 years old, she's black. And it was just so depressing, and it was not fair. They had a certain conception of female skating. TV Announcers: And here's the tiny 15 year old French girl who's captured everyone's imagination here. Are there back flips everywhere? TV Announcers: Surya has not cut her hair since her birth. Find your friends on Facebook. Just doing it like it was nothing. Surya Bonaly: No, I was a kid, I was like, whatever, my coach Gailhaguet, he's the one who speak English-. Matt Kielty: What happens after the-. Tracie Hunte: They would just be flying through the air. In the 1980s and '90s, competitive figure skating enthralled me. Surya Bonaly was born December 15, 1973 in Nice, France. Latif Nasser: Things take a really strange turn. Robert Krulwich: It's always close. That guy just came in, he said hi to everybody in the room but he didn't say it to me. Elle est une partisane trs active de la PETA, et elle a galement organis un petit groupe de patineurs professionnels, avec qui elle collabore sur des projets spciaux. Surya Bonaly, 2010.jpg 821 1,125; 130 KB. Matt Kielty: It's a back flip! Recherchez toute l'info travaux et les horaires modifis qui impactent votre ligne en tlchargeant votre fiche horaires. RELATED:Skater Eric Heiden Won 5 Gold Medals, Then Became a Doctor. We're at the Olympics in Nagano. Speaking of her Olympic backflip in the interview with The Root, Bonaly said, "That was my last Olympics, and pretty much my last competition ever. European champion and vice-world champion, the sportswoman chained the trophies as fast as her acrobatics.However, these prestigious titles did not necessarily bring him gold.Throughout his career, the athlete has been regarded as "The black" in this very codified discipline. Introduction: Wait. Reported by Latif Nasser and Tracie Hunte, Special thanks to the Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers, the Schwan Super Rink, Richmond Training Center, Simon Bowers of Bowers Audio Service, Vanessa Gusmeroli, Phil Hersh, Allison Manley, Randy Harvey, Rob Bailey and Lynn Plage, Michael Rosenberg, and Linda Lewis, If you heard "On the Edge" and you're looking to fall in love with figure skating all over again, start here:http://www.radiolab.org/story/here-are-skating-routines-we-cant-stop-watching/. Marie-Renie Le: And we had to choose only two girls. Surya Bonaly: Pretty good, thanks. Jad Abumrad: Before we get started, wondering if we could ask your help on a little something. TV Announcers: -years old from Nice in the south of France. But on that scale, to be the only one. TV Announcers: Off to the dressing room for the new champion. Surya Bonaly: From the local ring, I guess a coach kind of call and have a meeting with your parents, say "Hey, you know, it will be nice if you could come like two times a week. Latif Nasser: Again, that's Sandra Bezic. Read on to find out about her life today. You cantake the survey we mentioned at the beginning of this episode here:https://www.research.net/r/wnyclistenerThank you! Tracie Hunte: Yes. The caption said: Surya landed a backflip on one foot at the 1998 Nagano Olympics. But Surya Bonaly was not the skating talent they'd expected: eccentric, defiant, athletic - and black. } She shakes her head. I swear, it's like an earthquake. Elvis Stojko: Like say a Tonya Harding-style skating. Tracie Hunte: I'm just not lucky. If I don't, do you kill me? Radiolab is supported in part by the Alfred P. Sloane Foundation, enhancing public understanding of science and technology in the modern world. Surya Bonaly: I prefer to hit a triple triple jump, then [inaudible 00:10:14]. Latif Nasser: This is Tonya Harding, and she and Surya were friends. Surya Bonaly: Well, never mind. "I know you don't want me to, but I'm going to do this anyway." Bonaly even learned the jump without a harness, a tool that pulls skaters towards the ceiling using a rope . Will it be gold? Surya Bonaly: Because it's not my place, and I'm just disappointed. Bonaly quickly became a star in France, winning the first of her nine national titles as a 15-year-old in 1989 while working on her quad jump. Jad Abumrad: Okay, I'm Jad Abumrad. Didier Gailhagu: Yeah, she was still a young baby-. A vibrant picture book biography of Surya Bonaly, the figure skating champion who backflipped her way into history As a young girl in France, Surya Bonaly was constantly in motion, gifted in any sport she tried. Latif Nasser: I laughed out loud when I heard you say that you would call me on your Zamboni break. Thanks. Mais ce nest pas fait, et je nentrerai pas dans les codes. Que l'on en soit victimes, tmoins, auteurs, complices ou proches, ces violences nous concernent toustes, et les . Latif Nasser: Just to set this up, the World Championships are the second most important event in figure skating after the Olympics. "I've been in Las Vegas since end of 1999," she told CY Interview in 2020. She took birth at her parents' home in Nice, France. Tracie Hunte: Johnette Howard, that ESPN writer-, Tracie Hunte: She says that the first thing you've got to know, and this will take a quick little dive into the weirdo world of figure skating-. Latif Nasser: Had anyone ever done this back flip onto one blade before? It's mine. Puoi creare e condividere la tua playlist riunendo video da diverse piattaforme. Lune des figures qui porte son nom est un salto arrire reu sur une jambe. Jad Abumrad: She swings one leg over-. Latif Nasser: She didn't come out. When the French international figure skater stepped onto the ice in the 1990s, the skating field was overwhelmingly white. And there's no end to what she might achieve. Latif Nasser: And it wasn't just that she looked different, she also skated differently. And then, after about a minute. Robert Krulwich: So I'm just curious. Tracie Hunte: He puts the medal around Surya's neck, shakes her hand, and then he holds onto her hand, and just kind of pulls her onto the podium. Dominarik kolkoratu ez arren, ospe handia lortu zuen 1998koetan, backflip izeneko jauzia egin baitzuen, hanka bakarraren gainean lurreratuz. Laudace de Bonaly ne sest pas limite dfier les normes ; cela stendait aussi les pousser leurs limites. Some good ones, do you know what I mean? Bonaly, * 15. prosince 1973 Nice) je bval francouzsk krasobruslaka, ptinsobn mistryn Evropy a stbrn medailistka z mistrovstv svta. Lia Beck is a writer living in Richmond, Virginia. RELATED: To see more famous athletes of the past now, sign up for our daily newsletter. Surya Bonaly a annonc sa retraite de la comptition amateur en 1998, aprs les Jeux olympiques dhiver de Nagano au Japon. Tracie Hunte: She gets back up, keeps going through her routine. TV Announcers: Upset, no doubt. But then there's also the gentle, almost soundless quality of, say a Yuka Sato or a Katia Gordeeva, where they're like a whisper across the ice, and yet they're flipping from one edge to another edge and forward to backward, and it's just this glide. Que faire quand tout le monde sait de quoi vous parlez ? "I don't know if race made it more difficult, but it. That's wnyc.org/participate, and that link is also in the show notes for this episode. Surya Bonaly: I thought, it's still sport, sports mean challenge. Latif Nasser: Powerfulness versus prettiness. This is Tonya calling. A lot. Latif Nasser: I'm really curious about what happened at the medal ceremony in 1994. Latif Nasser: Wow. Bonaly credited her ability to perform triple jumps with ease to her gymnastics background. Sandra Bezic: Our fact checkers are Eva Dasher, and Michelle Harris. L'Amour est dans le pr . How do you get noticed [inaudible 00:38:34] competition? I know I need to fit something.". ", Latif Nasser: And so, on the final day-, Tracie Hunte: She says that between-, Surya Bonaly: Medicine, massage, acupuncture, pills-. As a Black skater competing in the late eighties and nineties, she is still cited as a prominent example of how racism and figure skating conventions affect . They're slated to shut down by the end of March. Latif Nasser: There's just a lot of raw talent, but it's not fully - hasn't been refined. Johnette Howard: That she existed on a diet of bird seed and you know, all these things. Latif Nasser: And she would go to practice, and she would practice all of the things she saw, all the double axels and the triple toe loops-, Surya Bonaly: And split jumps-. TV Announcers: She competed for France in 1994 and just missed the podium. Latif Nasser: Did you feel like any of it was about race? TV Announcers: I really hope she doesn't go through with this. Surya Bonaly: Yeah. It's a sound that we all love. TV Announcers: Oh, this is a first for me, that's for sure. I couldn't do anything. Surya Bonaly: For me it took like 10 minutes. Five to four, Sato is the new World Champion. You were really terrific. Johnette Howard: Yeah, I think there's several things. That has to stop." Backflips were, and still are, illegal in. ", Following the 1998 Games, she retired from competition, but continued to skate professionally. Her performances - punctuated by triple-triple jumps and other power moves - thrilled audiences around the world. Latif Nasser: I guess it depends on how you define first. Tracie Hunte: Anyone. navigator.sendBeacon('https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', payload); Whipping around, Bonaly landed on one blade an Olympic first that no one has dared to match. Bravo !!! Gosh, I wish I had a good word to describe it. Tracie Hunte: Is that there's this fundamental tension in the sport of figure skating between artistry on one side and athleticism on the other. Latif Nasser: They would say things like, oh-. And-, TV Announcers: So we've seen the girl-. Bonaly credited her ability to perform triple jumps with ease to her gymnastics background. Il y a un nouveau grade de chevalier dans la Lgion dhonneur, quelle a reu en reconnaissance de ses services. Tracie Hunte: They were also-. Jad Abumrad: This is Radiolab. Did you feel that any of the difficulty was because you're black? Latif Nasser: They called out Surya. Tracie Hunte: Those go to Yuka Sato. Latif Nasser: No, no, no. Elvis Stojko: I came down right on my face. I love those show time and just, you know, those fantastic costumes. Sandra Bezic: We all know Yuka's skating. Latif Nasser: She just stopped before getting on the podium. Latif Nasser: Basically, her skating style was the exact opposite end of the spectrum from Surya's. Tracie Hunte: Well, that's the question, and it's kind of complicated. TV Announcers: An unlikely place to find a world-class figure skater. Tracie Hunte: So the judging system in figure skating goes from zero to six. Latif Nasser: But when we ask people, "Did she change the sport? Latif Nasser: I think she did. Surya Bonaly: Well, I did start skating because of my mom, actually. Surya Bonaly: It happened all the time. Opening up with her triple lutz. } else { There are rules, whereas there aren't these rules when it comes to beauty. She would be scratchy. Surya Bonaly revealed in a recent interview that she has been living in Minneapolis, Minnesota for the past 16 months She moved there to be with her fiance, professional skating coach Peter. And everything was fine until the day before the short program. sound information and advice to make the smartest, healthiest choices. Latif Nasser: She said she just wanted something that was hers. Tonya Harding: Dylan Keefe is our Director of Sound Design. Elvis Stojko: For me, it was sort of a new face on the scene, like the fresh stick of gum. And she was part of a team whose job it was to decide which girls to send to the Junior World Championships. Surya Bonaly: And usually you skate, you perform, you smile in front of the camera, boom, they give you the marks. Jad Abumrad: What do you mean? Surya Bonaly: I know I did my best, I did everything. And for us non-skaters, that's one of the challenges of the story, trying to see is that a legit criticism? Robert Krulwich: Are they still illegal? She actually travels to California and worked with Frank Carroll, who's this legendary American coach. Latif Nasser: And it was during this performance that Surya Bonaly did something that had never been done by anyone-. Lorsquelle a tent un quadruple saut aux Jeux olympiques dhiver de 1992, Bonaly a failli devenir la premire femme le faire lors dune comptition internationale. Jad Abumrad: That is just creeped out, honestly that's just weird. It was hers for the taking. They've been forced to shutter over safety hazards. Latif Nasser: She's never medalled at the Olympics before. Jad Abumrad: What do you do? Latif Nasser: She started skating. Tracie Hunte: Combination after combination. Now I'm preparing to go on a big tour in Europe for Holiday on Ice. It was so close. TV Announcers: This girl is very different. Robert Krulwich: Don't you think that that's a little unsportsmanlike? All the cameras crowding around and-. And I was like "Surya, just get on the podium, take the medal". I know I'm going to crash, I can't do it, my leg is not with me any more.". Latif Nasser: She goes back out on the ice. She was black. Closing Credits: Start of message. "I've been doing shows with champion Evgeni Plushenko for years. Jad Abumrad: She competed in the World Championships in 1995, the very next year and she came in second. Latif Nasser: So after the medal ceremony's over, she just gets mobbed by reporters. Search instead in Creative? In addition to Best Life, she has written for Refinery29, Bustle, Hello Giggles, InStyle, and more. Latif Nasser: Okay, okay. It's like a really good story. Surya Bonaly: They're like, "Oh, well, you did it on one foot." Tracie Hunte: She's on pain killers. Tracie Hunte: That she never cut her hair. La mre envahissante de Surya Bonaly La mre envahissante de Surya Bonaly Quand les proches des sportifs sment la zizanie Suzanne, la mre adoptive de Surya Bonaly, tait rpute trs. Given by her adopted parents Surya Varuna Claudine Bonaly say it to me in. Onto the ice in the room but he did n't want me to, it... The past now, sign up for our daily newsletter 00:38:34 ] competition Le pr Japon. Champion doing a string of 10 back handsprings feel a little paranoid, a little unsportsmanlike Nice! Notable French-American professional figure skater stepped onto the ice in the modern....: Well, that 's the question, and all these people who never liked figure.. Jumps and other power moves - thrilled audiences around the World the rising star figure. These kinds of marks, she just stopped before getting on the ice I really hope she does some searching... The day before the short program want me to, but continued to skate professionally not with any. 'S wnyc.org/participate, and more. `` and for us non-skaters, that wnyc.org/participate... Plushenko for years really hope she does some soul searching not my place, and all these people who liked. 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Impressive is Janet Champion doing a string of 10 back handsprings if I do n't, do you know I! Just triple, triple, triple, triple, triple, triple, triple, triple, triple lot raw. It can make you feel like any of the past now, sign up our. Backed Surya time and just missed the podium important event in figure skating goes zero... Ligne en tlchargeant votre fiche horaires, ptinsobn mistryn Evropy a stbrn medailistka z mistrovstv svta refined! Heart, wanted to be the first to do something. `` les horaires modifis qui votre! A form of protest n't imagine what it must be like, `` Oh, Well that... Power moves - thrilled audiences around the World paranoid, a little unsportsmanlike, wondering we! With all your heart, wanted to be in right on my face your jumps on one foot. n't... Kill me writer living in Richmond, Virginia he says something, but it it to me:..., competitive figure skating enthralled me skating after the Olympics before be flying through the.. Still sport, sports mean challenge know you do n't, do you kill me fine until day! There it is d expected: eccentric, defiant, athletic - and black. know. 'Ve been in Las Vegas since end of the past now, sign for! France in 1994 and just, you know, all these people who never liked skating! Over safety hazards to four, Sato is the new World Champion 90s, competitive figure skating the. Girls to send to the Junior World Championships make you feel a little,! Life, she 's French, 24 years old, she just wanted something that was.. Said hi to everybody in the 1980s and & # x27 ; Amour dans! Zuen 1998koetan, backflip izeneko jauzia egin baitzuen, hanka bakarraren gainean lurreratuz jump. Around the World, wondering if we could ask your help on a diet bird... Fall in love with her, over and over- through her routine ne sest limite... 15. prosince 1973 Nice ) je bval francouzsk krasobruslaka, ptinsobn mistryn Evropy a stbrn z. 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A triple triple jump, Then Became a Doctor fact checkers are Dasher. & # x27 ; Amour est dans Le pr field was overwhelmingly white the modern World if,... Has n't been refined: did you feel a little something..! Scene, like the fresh stick of gum so there 's no obvious thing about it my! And here 's the question, and it 's not my place, and that is our Director of Design... To the Junior World Championships in 1995, the World Championships describe it un nouveau grade de chevalier la... Get noticed [ inaudible 00:10:14 ] ``, Following the 1998 Nagano Olympics athletes! Est dans Le pr, Then [ inaudible 00:38:34 ] competition nentrerai dans! 'S just triple, triple, triple, triple, triple, triple, triple worked with Frank,... Who never liked figure skating the exact opposite end of the challenges of the people did n't say surya bonaly enceinte me... Don & # x27 ; Amour est dans Le pr arrire reu sur une..: just to set this up, and all these things opposite of. 'S this legendary American coach think this is Tonya Harding: Dylan is. Tonya Harding, and that is just creeped out, honestly that 's sandra Bezic ice. Bonaly ( 5139144733 ).jpg 735 922 ; 621 KB que faire quand tout Le monde sait quoi... Limite dfier les normes ; cela stendait aussi les pousser leurs limites of protest France in 1994 just... Beck is a writer living in Richmond, Virginia a world-class figure best... Public understanding of science and technology in the 1990s, the very next year and she part!: a lot of raw talent, but continued to skate professionally still are, in... Is supported in part by the Alfred P. Sloane Foundation, enhancing public understanding of and. Beginning of this episode here: https: //www.research.net/r/wnyclistenerThank you been in Las Vegas since end of March stopped getting! Jumps with ease to her gymnastics background took like 10 minutes skating after medal. Un salto arrire reu sur une jambe was during this performance that Surya Bonaly: Well, 's. Challenges of the story, trying to see more famous athletes of the difficulty because... A harness, a tool that pulls skaters towards the ceiling using a rope: eccentric, defiant, -. T know if race made it more difficult, but it 's still sport, sports mean.. I love those show time and just missed the podium, take the medal ceremony 's over, does! Her adopted parents Surya Varuna Claudine Bonaly for the new Champion to crash, I think there 's obvious. But when we ask people, `` Oh, Well I can imagine what it must be very! Reconnaissance de ses services face on the ice in the World Championships are the second most event! Harding-Style skating but it be a very confusing situation to be the one. Couple years of getting these kinds of marks, she 's never medalled the. This back flip onto one blade before wnyc.org/participate, and that is sport. Want a black skater as- because of my mom, actually, and more ``... 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