1994 WC Ladies Medals with Surya Bonaly, Sato and Szewczenko

[ocwablue]

This is why I love the UK commentators- they were absolutely right about Surya plateauing. I loved how they had the foresight to say "how good's Michelle Kwan going to be in a couple of year's time?". Sure enough, just two years later she was World Champion :D

[schulz1]

Non, elle aurait du gagner ce championnat. Ce qu'elle a fait, a mon avis, etait tout a fait raisonnable. She had been screwed over in 1993 and then again in 1994. She should have won. She should have won. End of story.

[BoraBoraGirl2001]

Bonaly was a horrible skater - always was. She was basically an acrobat on skates. There was no grace, no expression, no beauty at all in her movements, and no flow from one thing to the next. She was lucky to have the won the medals that she did, including this one. It was painful to watch her.

[victoriaindigo]

ISU did not and never will take away Surya Bonaly's Silver Medal, YAYYY

Suyra is a true Champion

[faeryquene]

@victoriaindigo No they never took away her medals but they and the powers that be at the IOC made sure she never got near an Olympic podium either. The woman was an acrobat on skates. Her edge quality was non-existent and the current code would have annihilated her.

[victoriaindigo]

@faeryquene I wish she would have stepped to the podium and accepted her medal gracefully because in that situation good sportsmanship would have benefited her in the long run.

IMO she was more than just a gymnast on ice. She had a passion for figure skating, and at least she landed her back flips on one foot.

[adventuregirl76]

I'm glad the official pushed her onto the podium. She showed extremely poor sportsmanship and a terrible attitude.

[braveheartlioncarebe]

good for surya. one of the most underrated skaters of all time.

[BoraBoraGirl2001]

@braveheartlioncarebe Huh? The woman had no grace, no artistry, no expression, no beauty and no flow from one movement to the next. She was a gymnast on skates, nothing more.

[faeryquene]

@BoraBoraGirl2001 And she muscled and telegraphed her jumps. She had no edge quality to speak of. She looked like she was skating on double runners between the jumps.

[victoriaindigo]

@braveheartlioncarebe I agree she was extremely underrated! Incredibly talented skater, I liked her non-traditional style and skilz!

[RothdeMan]

Surya had every right to be pissed! She was cheated in 93' and it only stands to reason she questions the extreme bias against her.

[cashisking98]

Good for her (Surya). Figure skating is so biased and always has been. The judges never liked her and judged her unfairly all the time. I'm glad she did what she did.

[yellowbanana104]

surya was not smart enough. if she went on the podium and cried as hard as she can as the "golden couple" in 2002 did, then she might attract the media's attention and got her gold. but i think her dignity would not allow to do that. afterall, she was an athlete, not an actress nor a corrupted politician.

[WarRogers]

Yeah it's a bit of poor sportsmanship, but still you can't fault someone nowadays for standing up what they believe in. Too many ppl DON'T do it so I applaud her for that.

[dtdurr]

Actually, I do not think Surya's artistry was that different from Slutskya

[sunlightguy75]

There is a time and place for everything and the medal ceremony is certainly NOT the right place to behave like that. I can understand that Surya was disappointed but nevertheless, this is not the place to show it especially in such a manner. I've been watching figure skating since I was six years old and I have to say that although Surya was excellent on her jumps her performance skills always left a lot to be desired.

[adventuregirl76]

@sunlightguy75 Totally agree. If she felt the results were wrong, she could have contested them later by filing paperwork or taking other actions. I cannot believe anyone would support such a poor display of bad sportsmanship. She acted like a two-year-old who didn't get her way, and, in the end, lost respect from a great many people. And, she looked like a fool to boot.

[spacekangaroo]

These commentators are losers. I'm glad Surya made a point of showing her disgust towards the bias that plagued figure skating.

[boytoyville]

Good for Surya, she got screwed over and over again by this biased judges.

[Popberries]

Well done Surya!

I sadly lost faith in figure skating after this...

[BlackRoseSoth]

all this stereotypical 'female skating'! Surya was a breakthrough, and a true athlete of figure skating. To be ridiculed for it is unjust, and to lose a gold because of it is even more so.

[tiriyo10]

She was ahead of her time but nobody recognized this. She is amazing and in my mind the winner of the gold medal.

[RothdeMan]

I don't blame Surya, she was sick to death of feeling cheated! She should have won in 93' but was cheated there as well.

[uwcollegeboi222000]

Fuck these commentators, she deserved to do what she did! These judges are racist, and never want to see a black person rise, or a minority for that fact. And the japanese only praise there own skaters and its always been that

way. They cheated Michelle Kwan

out of the gold in 1998 and they did

the same thing here to Surya...

[EJmimi]

Totally agree with you. That's why I gaveup watching skating.

[Lizzybee818]

I was reminded of this sad moment in figure skating by the poor sportsmanship exhibited by Plushenko in the 2010 Olympics

[Snooks8383]

@Lizzybee818 When you feel you are being cheated out of what you felt was rightfully your's you are going to react. Surya just had the guts to make it known to everyone.

She was not being the prim and proper little girl taking whatever the judges dished out! She was robbed in 93' and felt it happened yet again. i applaud her for taking a stand against the corruption of judging. How would you feel if you felt cheated by a system that is notorious for cheating?

[gracefulvintage]

She was robbed and the commentators are gassy bags of wind!!!

[psavari]

falshiv's

[Carpentersfan2003]

I always thought that Surya had alot of guts to do what she did. At the time I was not sure if it was poor sportmanship or not but looking back on it as an adult and a former gold and silver medalist in figure skating I can honestly say that had I been in her position I would have most likely did exactly what Surya did and refused the medal. In fact when the presenter asked her to get on the podium I would have said no thanks and then skated off the ice at that moment just to drive the point...

[echosaisis]

Surya has balls. I dont feel she should have won this won but she has for sure been cheated at other events

[turtlew1019]

I dont blame Surya for not taking silver. She was cheated and she knew it. Not to take away from Sato, but she won because she was the home country favorite, not because she was a better skater.

There was always a bias against powerful female jumpers and they always get penalized for it. The judges picked at Surya every chance they get. The ISU is already notorious for milking all the joy out of the sport anyway.

[mk146hw]

Sato was light, effortless and got even better as pro.

As for Bonaly, appalling behavior by an appalling skater!

[karrtt1234]

Disgracefull... she must be crazy if she actually thinks she should have won !

[mlc2005]

I like Surya, but there is no way she should ever get a gold medal (perhaps in 1993 worlds only). If the judges give her the gold, they are basically saying "only jumps (cheated half the time at that, and spins count) and skating skills don't." Those women work really hard to perfect their skating skills, soften, grace, etc. Surya with a few more jumps doesn't equal the whole package with a few fewer jumps. Surya simply cannot skate! It's a problem.

[fatalbeauty]

I remember seeing this when I was 13... I almost cried for her, and the next day at school everybody was talking about this, so proud about what she did, and sad for her...

[Popberries]

Exactly the same here!

Everybody was proud of her in the playground!

Franchement c'est la patineuse française par excellence, 15 ans après...

[FrmRussiaWitLuv]

I think you guys are being to hard on Surya. I do agree that her edge work and skating skills were not first-rate, but she was exceptional in her presentation and showmanship --not to mention she was the best athlete.

When an athlete competes in a subjective sport, it's always harder to accept the result when she feels she gave a performance worthy of gold. I don't condone the way she behaved, but she was hurt. I appreciated her passion for skating more after witnessing this ceremony.

[hyancinth70]

I can see where Sato won--she edged out Bonaly with artistic impression, and her moves are more fluid and graceful--not stiff and jerky. Bonaly should've demonstrated good sportsmanship, nonetheless.

[goov47]

Just accept it and carry on with your life. The girl is a spoiled brat!!

[Giagantus]

LOL ur obviusly not used to elite lvl athletes and their mindset...

[PhillyGal4Ever]

The medal podium is not the place to voice one's anger. Either Bonaly should have just skipped the ceremony which would have spoken volumes without being disruptive-or she should have waited until the obligatory press conference. She nearly ruined it for Yuka and Tanja. She looked very much like a spoiled brat throwing a tantrum because she did not get her way. The IOC now strips athletes of their medals for such behavior. The ISU should do the same.

[BoraBoraGirl2001]

@PhillyGal4Ever I agree. If someone disagrees with the results, take it up with judges/officials. This kind of behavior is immature, sad and an example of very poor sportsmanship.

[JNagarya]

@PhillyGal4Ever Several US skaters were stripped of their Olympic medals for giving the "Black Power" salute, which was a political expression, not a protest against their scores. Bonaly was lucky to get away with her tantrum, and ruining the moment for her betters.



[tristan5696]

I don't want to justify Bonaly's behavior either. But her warning for the unfair judging system may be food for thought, especially given the scandalous corruption of judges at the Salt Lake Olympics.

[hyancinth70]

I agree--the judges at the Salt Lake Olympics, were the worse I've seen. However, Sato did skate a better artistic program than Bonaly, and landed every jump.

[anontu2000]

This wasn't a temper tantrum or unsportsmanlike conduct. She was merely reacting to the results. She was pissed and she wasn't about to fake it to the world that she was happy to win silver. I find it exceedingly interesting that Japan won.

[Chutson353]

this is extremely unsportsmanlike and quite frankly they should've taken the medal and eliminated her from competition - I love Surya but this behavior should be unacceptable.

[towright]

The way Surya behaved was very unsportsman like.

[jmburry]

Having read some comments here, I believe that being in Second place and throwing a temper tantrum is NOT COOL-Look at Anna Bessonova from the World of Rhythmic Gymnastics which is even more of a joke judging-wise than Figure Skating. Anna Bessonova a Ukrainian (not a Russia) has been permanently put in the silver medal podium in just about every competition she enters because of her country-and still handles it with Grace and Dignity, Surya could learn a thing or two from her!

[Charline88]

It's a difference of temper: if Bessonova wanted to react to her situation with big smiles and thanks while she was being robbed all along her career, it's her choice. She's completely free. But then you can't blame someone who reacts against it, and prevent her from expressing herself.

People seem to think that when you suffer several unfair results in a row, for somehting for which you devote your life & hours of sweat, you still have to clap and laugh. In what kind of world do you live?

[Charline88]

These people have just have never lived a similar situation. I wonder how big their smile would be if an injustice took away from them -forever- the thing they desire the most.

[Charline88]

And no, Surya has never spoilt your so-called "Sato's moment": she didn't messed up the ceremony, and congratulated her opponents; but that DOES NOT mean she has to forcer herself to smile and take part to this farce. Judging by her behaviour, Sato wasn't really disturbed by what was going on. She was supported by the crowd, and seemed overwhelmed with joy.

[anontu2000]

Maybe Anna Bessonova was complacent in her standing? The medal ceremony brings up the oh so interesting question: When an injustice has been dealt to you, do you keep quiet about it or do you fight it? Bonaly felt that she got the shorter end of the stick, so she decided to reject the ruling. Was she supposed to be all smiles?

[bookaddict27]

A mature person would have smiled and gone with it.

[eyeskater1]

She did a suck off thing and ruined the moment...period...SPOILED BRAT! I would have been bursting out of my skin with happiness if I had won anything. She showed a real lack of class... Woo...now let's see how many minuses I get.

[PhillyGal4Ever]

The woman can't even skate. She's a jumper-nothing more. Even her jumps are landed horribly with no flow. In between she looks as if she is gliding on double runners. I'd love a current COP expert today to break down the huge deductions she would get on her 'technique' edgewise.

[eyeskater1]

To Philly...thanks for saying what I've been thinking all along...she's a horrible skater IMO.

[PhillyGal4Ever]

I could tell just from watching her the first time. Mind you-Surya came to my hometown years ago in Champions on Ice-she was very endearing and got huge cheers-especially for her aerial back walkover. But it was clear in person-the gal could not use her edges.

[lunajedi]

Surya made a stand and I am proud of her for that. Its not like she swore or kicked the ice she simply stated her belief that she was misjudged.

[lunajedi]

I believe that both Sato and Surya skated gold medal worthy programs and to be honest I can't tell you who I think should have won. I think both are very good jumpers but I do not think that Sato has better presentation. I believe that they both have their own special artistry. Sato is more flowly while Surya's is more powerful and lively. However, I would say that Sato has better spins. Despite that in my opinion Surya skated better but Sato had the crowd behind her and that is why she won.

[QuadSurya]

Cette réaction a été provoquée par une accumulation de déceptions, elle est tout à fait compréhensible quand on connait le parcours de Surya et certaines injustices dont elle a été victime avant ces championnats du monde. Avec sa mère, elle a clairement fait des erreurs dans certaines options pour faire évoluer son patinage, mais objectivement elle aurait dû d'être championne du monde. 1993 étant pour moi l'injustice la plus flagrante et la moins discutable !

[spenceAMS]

"1993 étant pour moi l'injustice la plus flagrante et la moins discutable !" ...Je suis certainement en accord avec ca et elle aurait du gagner 1993.

[schulz1]

Je suis daccord avec toi

[jekiffetanja]

@spenceAMS moi aussi

[blaubaby]

She has all right to do whatever she wants, but not if it is wrecking some other poor hardworking athletes moment. You can show some class at least. Show your hissy fits after the ceremony.

[TruWatcher]

"Political correctness" my eye! Good sportsmanship and graciousness have nothing to do with being politically correct--they have to do with being a decent person with manners. We've started placing way too much value in this culture on "honesty" and "letting it all hang out" when we feel like acting like jerks. I don't think it's a virtue. Oh, and kids--I know figure skating, so you can't use the supposed ignorance of those who disagree with you about these results as an excuse.

[buzzbuzz04]

Exactly! Stealing someone's moment because you're having a hissy is poor form.

I think what a lot of people who comment on her being downgraded forget the fact, that she couldn't skate for beans. She had lousy edges, poor form and if they had not taken school figures out of the equation, she would have never made it within spitting distance of the podium. Surya won national and European titles, yeah they were really keeping her down. Such rubbish.

[Charline88]

I don't know if protesting against an unfair decision could be describbed as "acting like jerks". Abide by the rules is an absolute necessity, but that doesn't mean you should accept everything, suffer injustice and remain quiet.

[georgepr]

Surya had all the right to do whatever she did. Everybody loves "politically correctness", but I love her because she has the balls to show the world how she felt regarding the unfair resuls. She was waaay better than Sato (of course, it's subjective, so it's my opinion) and it was a slap in the face of us who know about ice skating seeing Sato win an undeserved medal. Go Surya!

[fatalbeauty]

Exactly!

[BoraBoraGirl2001]

@georgepr What good did it do her??? She ended up looking like a 2-year-old denied another cookie. She looked like a whiny, bratty, pouty fool.

[buzzbuzz04]

And that, ladies and gentleman, is called poor sportmanship.

[7Christian]

Say what you like but taking a stand is NEVER poor sportmanship. IT's having the balls to Stand up for yourself when you feel you have been MISTREATED, but you probably don't know much about that.

[barkingtree88]

I have a VHS from 97 asking Sato about this, and she said she felt bad for Surya but she didn't let it ruin her moment.

[PhillyGal4Ever]

Thank you for that info-I always wondered what both Yuka and Tanja thought of Sury'as tantrum on ice in what was supposed to be a crowning moment for all three skaters.

[xotessieox]

You guys saying she ruined Sato's moment, had I been Sato I woulda been like fuck her this is my gold.

BUT it shoulda been Surya's. I am personally proud of what she did, she doesn't need to take this bullshit. Come on, she skated way better than Sato & they judges do hate her, probably because she is black && wayyy better than a lot of white skaters.

[hilljacknutjob]

poor Sato. Not fair.

[TruWatcher]

Oh, so some of you think Surya was justified in spoiling Yuka Sato's moment because YOU think she was "robbed" in some other year, or that she deserved to be "rewarded for her hard work and courage" or that the judges "hated" her? Sorry folks, she lost according to the rules. It's not all about jumps and "facial expressions." Yuka Sato won fairly, but her one moment on top got ruined by Surya's tantrum. News flash: Just because you're unhappy that you lost, it doesn't become all about YOU!

[7Christian]

Try working your ass off and being slapped in the face and see how you would feel. She was never treated fairly. Think about the time you were much more deserving of a promotion and someone less than average stole your GLORY. The skating sport was quite different during the early 90's but things are a bit different NOW.

[TruWatcher]

Oh, cry me a river! No one slapped Surya in the face, treated her unfairly or "stole her glory." Yuka was a superior skater (not just a "tumbler on skates" like Surya) and won fair and square. I can't believe that after 14 long years Surya's fans are still whining excuses for her: "It wasn't fair!" "It was racism!" etc. Nonsense. It was all fair according to the rules, but Surya's lack of sportsmanship when things didn't go her way spoiled it for everyone else. Shameful.

[PhillyGal4Ever]

Bonaly never has and still cannot use her skate edges. She's an acrobat on ice-nothing more.

[giub99]

Didn't matter what Surya did--ever--those elitest judges WOULD NEVER have awarded her a gold. They hate her.

That's why figure skating judging is such a joke (and yes, still even with the new system).

[delayedricochet]

Funny Surya!

[Charline88]

Looking back at her whole career it's harsh to consider that she never got any world title. Sato did a good technical job,but her skating was very slow and lacked interpretation.Surya'sinterpre­ation was flawless, gracious, and moving. Her facial expression shows all the emotion she's putting in it.

Her personal life itself has never been easy -her parents abandoned her - and I guess it would have rewarded her hard work and courage to give her a gold once. But that never happened.

[grafgirl27]

Calling Sato's skating slow is a total joke. Her speed and basic skating is the biggest difference between her skating and Surya's.

[schulz1]

I think I must be the only person to have thought that Bonaly actually should have won these champs, although I do think it was very close. I saw this on French television at the time and the French commentator said "Well, she's over 18 she has a right to protest!"

[spenceAMS]

At the time I had her in first, and in '93 also

[aquamarineeyes]

The judges had it in for poor Surya from day one just because she dared to be different. Dont worry Surya, the world loves u big time!

[stefan7171]

I thought she should've won gold here as well...& in '93 too actually. Poor Surya :(

[Darkangel127]

No you're not! Her reaction was totally understandable if we bear in mind that she was robbed in 1993. She must have thought "Two years in a row? No way I'm accepting it!". I can't really blame her, considering her frustration...

[grafgirl27]

She was robbed in 1993. She was not robbed in 1994. That is the difference.

[fatalbeauty]

For me she was robbed the 2 times...

[adventuregirl76]

@schulz1 Unfortunately, her artistic abilities could not compare to her athletic abilities -- very awkward on the ice.

[boxes02]

WOW!

[azsk8fan]

How sad for Yuka - poor sportsmanship - blame it on the evil skate-mom witch

[pellebravesskylar]

I can understand Surya's disappointment - but to do this kind of thing was an insult to Yuka and her home country. She probably took away a little bit of Yuka's triumph.

[djrezzed]

i remember watchin this that time and i recall how the french put all the pressure on surya to win the gold at the albertville games and all the world champiionships she attended..she jes buckles doesn't deliver. As for sato she delivered when she needed to winning herself the gold medal..and the way surya acted, i was shocked, i woulda stripped her of the medal and awarded tanja with the silver and the 4th place finsher the bronze..surya was always somethin to talk about..

[nhalifax]

3, 2, 1... Spence, I suggest you disable comments to this video unless you want to read on a daily basis how horrible a person Surya Bonaly is... haha. Congratulations to the medallists at these Championships.

[spenceAMS]

lol don't worry m8 - i'll keep a very close eye on it! I think most of her fans came to understand her frustration in the end, and she did so much for audiences around the world that I think it came to be forgotten anyway.

[ithinkformyself]

Do you have Surya's free skate..I thought I saw it but can't find it..

[spenceAMS]

Hiya - i'll have a look (I think so)

[ithinkformyself]

Tbanks...and this is a great video!