Blades and Biases: The U.S Olympics Destroying Representation
This week I want to talk about the Olympics. I have never watched it, but every time it's around, I do see various clips from social media outlets such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, etc. More specifically, I want to talk about ice skating and why this is a big deal for me when it comes to the Olympics.
The Olympics have already started to cause some tension due to the extent of Israel's participation after the genocide they have been committing in Gaza killed 800+ athletes. Some people have called for having the team disqualified, some have called for a boycott of the olympics and even other partner companies that support this aspect. While this is a topic for another day, we can say the Olympics haven't really gotten off on their good foot this year.
With this being said, Illia Malini, who is a U.S figure skater, became the first person to legally land a backflip on one skate in the Olympics Sunday night. This accomplishment caused for the uproar in praise and compliments on social media. Social media users then started to make comparisons on how history often repeats itself.
The first person known to pull off a backflip at the Olympics was U.S champion Terry Kubicka in 1976, and he was able to land on two skates, but this move was swiftly banned mainly because of the danger and risk that accompanied the trick. Two decades after that, Surya Bonaly executed a backflip landing on one blade, which technically wasn't banned. When this trick was done, the judges docked her points, which she knew was a consequence, but the excitement of being able to set her legacy as a black athlete in a sport that is known to lack diversity was bigger than any score she could've earned.
Two years ago, this ban was lifted to make the sport more "exciting" and "popular" for the younger fans. The most infuriating part of this is that Malinin has won a gold medal in free skate for doing something that was ridiculed decades ago. Bonaly ended her career with a 10th-place finish, and the punishment for Bonaly is way different from the praise Malinin has been reciving and it shows the double standard that exsist espically one the aspect of Bonaly being a person of color.
It really makes you wonder why Malinin gets so much praise and is labeled the "first" when this has been done before, just based on a technicality? Why is one person's label tarnished for doing something so incredible, only to be recognized the signifigance two decades later, and praise that said individual?
Representation is important, and to simply strip that away from someone who trailblazed that same path is often done when it comes to erasing history.
Suray was a phenomenal skater. Sadly, she was not given positive recognition for her athleticism for her skating performance in the 1998 Olympics. Suray was penalized for performing an illegal, one-footed backflip at the Nagano Olympics, resulting in point deductions that dropped her to 10th place. The move, banned since 1976 for safety reasons, was performed as a final, defiant act in her career, solidifying her legacy as a trailblazer. In reality, the one-footed backflip was less taxing and painful on her body than the quad jump her coach wanted her to perform in her routine. The ban was for a two-footed backflip.
ReplyDeleteYESSS!! It’s an absolute shame what happened to her career after she completed a more difficult move too execute technique wise, versus Malinin gets praised for it. Additionally, the newer generation may not be as educated on Suray’s contribution and not see what’s wrong with her loosing versus a white male winning. It is apart of the system at the end of the day rather than the individuals involved, but it’s so infuriating to see Malinin get so much grace and praise from the media.
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