By Lori Ewing
(Reuters) – American figure skater Ilia Malinin was not even born when France’s Surya Bonaly thumbed her nose at the International Skating Union’s restrictive rules by famously performing a banned backflip at the 1998 Nagano Olympics.
The 20-year-old Malinin and Bonaly’s compatriot Adam Siao Him Fa are expected to back-flip into the history books this week as the first skaters in nearly 50 years to land the back somersault — legally — at a world championship.
Malinin, a huge favourite to retain his world men’s singles title this week in Boston, became the first to land the high-flying manoeuvre legally in competition since Terry Kubicka of the U.S. at the 1976 Winter Olympics and world championships.
It was banned soon after.
Malinin, the self-proclaimed “Quad God” known for his jaw-dropping athleticism, debuted his backflip in competition at the Lombardia Trophy in September.
The American perfected the backflip as a young gymnast before focusing solely on skating.
“I decided to put it in my free skate, because it fits the music really well,” he said. “It gets that audience applause, feels really suspenseful and I really just like doing it.”
While skaters such as Bonaly were docked two points for the illegal backflip, the element is not worth any points now it is legal, although could contribute to an athlete’s artistic score.
Germany’s twice Olympic champion Katarina Witt is a big fan.
“I think (the backflip) is fun, I think it’s great they do this,” she recently told Olympics.com. “They sometimes have to go with the flow. Everything is more creative for young people.
“You have those teenagers … they grew up as a child in a more creative way and I think this already modernised the sport a lot. Now, we’re saying, ‘just do a backflip.’ And why not?”
The ISU removed the somersault ban last June, saying in their meeting agenda: “Somersault type jumps are very spectacular and nowadays it is not logical anymore to include them as illegal movements.”
Siao Him Fa did one at last year’s world championships in Montreal, knowing the two-point deduction would not affect his finishing place en route to winning bronze.
Malinin has had crowds roaring all season with his backflip that he lands on one foot.
His chase of a second world title began with the short program on Thursday. The free skate is scheduled for Saturday.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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