Backflip (figure skating)

A backflip is a move in figure skating. Terry Kubicka, a skater from the U.S., was the first skater to successfully execute a legal backflip at the Olympics, during the 1976 Winter Olympics. The International Skating Union (ISU), the organization that oversees figure skating, banned the backflip in 1977 because it was deemed too dangerous and because it violated the principle of landing on one skate. Skaters continued to perform the move in ice shows and other non-competitive shows. As of 2024, the backflip was listed as an "illegal element/movement" on the official scoresheet used by judges during competition. Surya Bonaly from France was the first skater to successfully complete a backflip on one blade at the Olympics, during her free skating program at the 1998 Winter Olympics, even though it was illegal at the time. According to The Washington Post, performing the backflip ended Bonaly's career, but "the moment quickly became a cultural touchstone" and "Bonaly was making a statement not only as an accomplished skater, but also as a black athlete in one of the world’s whitest sports".^[1]

The next time the backflip was done in competition was in 2024, at the European Championships, by French skater Adam Siao Him Fa, during his free skating program and while it was still an illegal move. He also completed a backflip during his free skating program at the 2024 Worlds Championships. The ban against backflips was lifted later in 2024, when it and other somersault type jumps were removed from the ISU's list of restricted moves and elements. The backflip is not assigned a points value and is not a required element but can be included as part of the choreographic sequence during the free skating program.

The backflip is executed by skating backwards. One variation of the move, named for Bonaly, occurs when the skater throws both their arms upwards to create momentum, dip their left knee to create power, kick their right leg backwards to execute the flip, and end it by landing on their left leg. Another variation is executed by landing on two feet. Completing the backflip has been described as "just a pick and a look back".^[2] Training for the backflip is done with the use of support ropes around the skater's waist, as well as the use of a harness and a helmet. Skaters and coaches acknowledge both the potential risk of performing backflips and the excitement the audience expresses about seeing them during ice shows and competitions.