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Black woman in white dominated sports have had it tough. We forget how the press treated Venus and Serena, how they were booed by crowds. But let me tell you about Surya Bonaly, a French figure skater who is the only Olympic skater to land a backflip - male or female. On one leg.
But 1st, her 1994 World Figure Skating Champions podium finish.
She won silver. The scores between 1st and her 2nd place were super close. Instead of standing on the podium, she stood next to it because she believed she had been robbed of 1st place.
She won silver. The scores between 1st and her 2nd place were super close. Instead of standing on the podium, she stood next to it because she believed she had been robbed of 1st place.
Later, she said the judges said she was too athletic and not artistic enough. She became artistic, it was still not good enough. For her artistic marks, four judges ranked her 1st. One marked her 3rd, bringing down her overall score. “I don’t know what I have to do. It’s crazy.”
Watching some documentaries about her, I heard people say she was not an ice-princess like the others. Not graceful. She was too muscular. She was too strong and too fast. She was too showbiz. Too this. Too that.
We have had the same with Caster. It’s code. To this. Too that.
We have had the same with Caster. It’s code. To this. Too that.
By the end of her career, she was three time World Silver Medalist, five-time European champion, World Junior champion and nine-time French Champion.
The only single leg backflip landing. She did it at the 1998 Olympics even though it was banned. She knew she was not in contention to win. She had just come back from an injury and was not at her best, she was having fun and she ended with a bang. A Wakandan. A Dora Milaje.
