/https://i.s3.glbimg.com/v1/AUTH_da025474c0c44edd99332dddb09cabe8/internal_photos/bs/2026/r/v/GdBBHaTT2Tah36wM80lw/captura-de-tela-2026-02-22-101326.png?w=1024&resize=1024,1024&ssl=1 "Backflip Returns: 50 Years After Ban, Olympic Figure Skating Sees History")
Backflip Returns: 50 Years After Ban, Olympic Figure Skating Sees History
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina have marked the end of a half-century ban. After fifty years, the backflip has been legally executed in Olympic figure skating, returning one of the sport’s most controversial and symbolic movements to the ice.
The Origins of the Ban
The backflip first appeared at the Olympic Games in 1976, when American Terry Kubicka surprised audiences at Innsbruck by including the element in his long programme. At the time, there was no explicit rule prohibiting it. However, the International Skating Union (ISU) soon banned the move from official competitions.
The ISU’s justification centered on safety and technical criteria. The movement was deemed too acrobatic for competitive figure skating standards, and the traditional two-footed landing conflicted with the requirement for a single-foot landing for a jump to be considered valid. The backflip disappeared from competition for nearly five decades.
A Pioneer’s Defiance
Despite the ban, the backflip gained new prominence in the 1990s with French skater Surya Bonaly. A former gymnast, Bonaly brought the power and explosiveness of artistic gymnastics to the ice. She performed the backflip in exhibitions at the 1992 Albertville and 1994 Lillehammer Games. But it was at Nagano 1998, in her third and final Olympics, that she delivered the most memorable moment in the movement’s history.
Facing elimination from medal contention and battling injuries, Bonaly chose to conclude her programme with the prohibited jump, knowing it would incur point deductions. She landed the jump on one foot, making the feat even more impressive. While it didn’t earn points or change her final placement, it became a defining act of personal and artistic expression against a system that hadn’t fully recognised her.
Bonaly, a five-time European champion and World medalist, became a symbol of boldness and resistance. Decades later, she commented that the lifting of the ban represented more freedom on the ice and greater space for expression.
The Rule Changes, the Jump Returns
The turning point came in 2024, when the ISU removed the backflip from its list of prohibited elements during its technical congress. The move ceased to automatically incur penalties. It did not receive a specific technical value, meaning it doesn’t earn its own points, but it also no longer carries an obligatory deduction.
With this change, the jump gradually returned to international competitions and reappeared at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.
At Milan-Cortina, American skater Ilia Malinin drew attention with the backflip. Known for the technical difficulty of his programmes and his mastery of quadruple jumps, he included the backflip in both the short programme and the long programme of the team event.
He landed the first attempt on two feet, and the second attempt on one foot. While the move wasn’t decisive in terms of scoring, it had a strong artistic and emotional impact, eliciting an immediate reaction from the crowd.
Fifty years after Kubicka challenged the limits of the regulations, and almost three decades after Bonaly transformed a prohibited gesture into a manifesto, the backflip has officially returned to Olympic ice at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the backflip first performed at the Olympics?
The backflip first appeared at the Olympic Games in 1976, performed by American Terry Kubicka at Innsbruck.
Why was the backflip banned for so long?
The International Skating Union (ISU) banned the backflip due to concerns about safety and because the two-footed landing conflicted with the requirement for a single-foot landing for valid jumps.
Who is credited with popularizing the backflip despite the ban?
Surya Bonaly, a French skater and former gymnast, is credited with popularizing the backflip despite the ban, performing it in exhibitions and famously at the 1998 Nagano Olympics.
As figure skating continues to evolve, what other long-held traditions might be challenged or redefined in the pursuit of athletic innovation and artistic expression?