At the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, the world applauded Ilia Malinin's backflip. But long before him, Surya Bonaly dared to defy gravity and the rules.

From Terry Kubicka and Surya Bonaly to Ilia Malinin, the banned figure skating backflip is finally back on Olympic ice — and is still stirring controversy.

Ilia Malinin, aka the "Quad God," landed the first legal Olympic backflip since 1976 at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, helping the Americans win team gold.

Ilia Malinin, the U.S. figure skater nicknamed the “Quad God,” became the first person to legally land a backflip on one skate in the Olympics — although one trailblazing woman pulled it off when the move was still forbidden.

Ilia Malinin, the U.S. figure skater nicknamed the “Quad God,” became the first person to legally land a backflip on one skate in the Olympics — although one trailblazing woman pulled it off when the move was still forbidden.

Surya Bonaly successfully landed a backflip on one blade during the 1998 Winter Olympics despite knowing the move was banned.

This is the first Olympics in 50 years where the move hasn't been illegal—and Malinin’s backflip has long been known as the “Bonaly flip.”

Ben Ogden hopes his Olympic silver medal — and celebratory backflip — will spark a new era for American cross-country skiing.