Ice Skating Trick Sparks Controversy at the 2026 Winter Olympics

By Olivia Armstead

Controversy has arisen surrounding an ice skating trick that was performed at the 2026 Winter Olympics. 

U.S. Olympic figure skater Ilia Malinin performed a backflip during his first two programs in the competition, earning him the nickname “Quad God”. Malinin landed on one blade during the last of the two performances, which gained widespread media attention.

Courtesy of NPR

Prior to Malinin’s performance, the trick had been exiled from the Olympic rink for 48 years. It has just now made a comeback, but not without mentions of its controversial and complex history. 

Courtesy of Today.com

The trick reached international scale with the reputation of being a penalized skill when Surya Bonaly, a Black French ice skater, performed the trick in 1998 at the Nagano Olympics, per Forbes. Bonaly became the first female skater to attempt and land the skill, making the already difficult skill even more impressive by landing on a single blade. 

After suffering an injury and realizing she wouldn’t earn a medal, Bonaly decided to do the trick and later told reporters that she wanted to “show the judges – who don’t appreciate what I do – just what I can do.” She also knew that the trick would attract attention and promised to “leave the ice giving people something to talk about.” 

Even before Bonaly, U.S. figure skater Terry Kubicka was the first to perform the trick at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Austria. He had first performed it in the 1976 U.S. National Championships, and it became the first backflip performed in figure skating history, and until Malinin’s performance, the last legal one. 

This controversy surrounding the trick has people questioning the double standards of the sports industry and the effect that inconsistencies can have on athletes.

“For me, the conversation around the backflip shows both progress and inconsistency in sports. When Surya Bonaly performed the move at the Olympic Games in 1998, it was controversial and ended up being banned, but now similar risk-taking and creativity are being celebrated,” said Bria Bryant, a senior majoring in sports management at Hampton University. “From a sports management perspective, it’s important for organizations like the International Skating Union to acknowledge that history while also making sure judging and rule changes are fair and consistent.”