The Winter Olympics delivered a moment few thought fans would witness again. Inside the Milano Ice Skating Arena, the crowd erupted as an American skater launched into a move absent from legal Olympic competition for nearly fifty years. What followed wasn’t just a clean landing—it was a symbolic breaking of a long-standing barrier, a reminder that the Games can create history in an instant.
That historic moment belonged to Team USA’s Ilia Malinin, who stunned audiences during the men’s short program team event by successfully landing a backflip. The daring element earned the 21-year-old a score of 98.00 and immediate international attention. Backflips had been banned from Olympic competition for decades due to safety concerns, with American Terry Kubicka being the last to perform one legally in 1976. The International Skating Union reinstated the move in 2024, allowing Malinin to finally attempt it without penalty.
Fans quickly compared his performance to French skating legend Surya Bonaly, who famously landed a backflip at the 1998 Nagano Games despite knowing it would cost her points. This time, however, the move counted, and the arena’s reaction was electric. “The audience just roared,” Malinin said afterward, adding that the energy of the Olympic stage inspired him to fully embrace the moment. He emphasized staying grateful and present, aware of how fleeting elite sports moments can be.