62. Surya Bonaly
Manage episode 378242865 series 3516012
At long last, I get to combine two of my great passions: French history and 1990s women’s figure skating! Let’s face it, France hasn’t produced that many great female skaters over the decades. Male skaters like Alain Calmat and Pierre Péra made their way to the champion’s podium, but as the end of the 20th century approached, French women had yet to clinch a single individual medal. At the beginning of the 1990s, however, a once-in-a-generation talent arrived, giving France its first shot at a women’s medal in 40 years. You’d think France would be thrilled, right? But Surya Bonaly was not the skating talent they’d expected: eccentric, defiant, athletic – and black. In the age of “ice princesses”, Surya was an anomaly, and the figure skating world feared the kind of future she represented. Frustrated at every turn, she faced disappointment after disappointment until at last, with the whole world watching, Surya decided to make figure skating history – on her own terms.
Episode 62: “Surya Bonaly”
Surya Bonaly at the Olympics:
1992 Albertville Olympics:
1994 Lillehammer Olympics:
1998 Nagano Olympics:
Transcript
Sources:
- “Surya And The Dragon Lady: France’s Skating Soap Opera” Jere Longman, The Seattle Times, January 12, 1992.
- “French investigation exposes more than 20 skating coaches” Associated Press, August 3, 2020.
- “Patinage: Didier Gailhaguet, attaque le ministère des sports en justice” Le Monde, June 12, 2020.
- “French ice federation boss steps down amid sexual abuse scandal” Reuters, February 8, 2020.
- “Les bons mots de Georges Bonaly, père de Surya” L’Humanité, February 25, 1994
- “ALBERTVILLE; Bonaly, Sans Backflip, Has the Jump on Ito” Michael Janofsky, The New York Times, February 21, 1992.
- “French skater comes close in bid for first quad toe loop” Toledo Blade, February 22, 1992.
- “SURYA S’ECLIPSE” L’Humanité, March 31, 1992.
- “LILLEHAMMER / ’94 WINTER OLYMPICS: After Harding Stumbles, Baiul, Bonaly Contend” Mike Downey, Los Angeles Times, February 24, 1994.
- “WINTER OLYMPICS; A Pause in Scandal: Now They Will Skate” Jere Longman, The New York Times, February 23, 1994.
- “FIGURE SKATING; Cheers for Sato of Japan; Tears for Bonaly of France” Associated Press, March 27, 1994.
- “Figure skating’s bad-girl star Surya Bonaly makes new life in Minnesota” Susan Du, City Pages, September 7, 2016.
- “Questions Of Style for European Champions” Christopher Clarey, The New York Times, February 6, 1994.
- “Silver Isn’t Enough for Bonaly: Figure skating: She objects to decision giving Sato the gold medal. Kwan finishes eighth with strong freestyle performance.” Randy Harvey, Los Angeles Times, March 27, 1994.
- “Figure Skating Has Earned Some Low Marks in 1994” Wendy E. Lane, Associated Press, April 2, 1994.
- “Young Kwan Learns Older Is Better in World Championships” Mike Penner, Los Angeles Times, March 12, 1995.
- “Chen is on top of world; Bobek falls into third” Tampa Bay Times, March 12, 1995.
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