The Figure Skating Backflip Discourse Is Missing Some Context

False claims about the history of the move proliferate on social media

Every few years, Olympic figure skating discourse escapes containment and floods the internet.

This year, it’s the backflip.

If you’ve been on social media lately, you’ve probably seen a familiar claim circulating again:

A black, female French skater was “punished,” “singled out,” or “persecuted” for daring to do a backflip at the Olympics while an Americ…