who was the first skater to do a backflip

The first figure skater to legally land a backflip in Olympic competition was American Terry Kubicka , at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck.

Why Kubicka is “first”

• Kubicka executed a two‑footed backflip in his free‑skate program and it was allowed under the rules at the time.

• The International Skating Union (ISU) banned the backflip the following year , so he remains the only skater to land a legal Olympic backflip until the rule changed decades later.

Other notable backflip moments

• Surya Bonaly (France) famously did a one‑blade backflip at the 1998 Nagano Olympics , knowing it was banned and would cost her points; she is often remembered as the first to land it on one blade in the Games , though not legally.

• More recently, Ilia Malinin (USA) has brought the move back into the spotlight, landing backflips at the 2026 Winter Olympics after the ISU lifted the ban in 2024, making him the first Olympic backflip in the 21st century under the new rules.

If you meant a different kind of “skater” (e.g., skateboarder or inline), say which sport and I’ll narrow it down.