Surya Bonaly: Internet users moved by the story of the skater in the documentary Blacks in France (VIDEO)

This January 18, France 2 broadcast an unpublished documentary as a bonus, followed by a debate moderated by Julian Bugier: Blacks in France. A passage from this production particularly touched Internet users and viewers and concerns a sportswoman well known and loved by the French, even if she has moved away from the podiums: Surya Bonaly. Commented by the multi-award-winning writer Alain Mabanckou, this choral documentary gave the floor to several celebrities such as Jean-Pascal Zadi, Karine Baste-Régis, Yannick Noah or Soprano to testify to their experiences as well as to people unknown to the general public who have at heart to change things despite a society that is struggling to move forward and give them a chance. And all of them were marked by the story of the figure skater.

The racism behind his silver medal?

Among them, a young woman, Kathy Laurent Pourcel, aspiring to become a ballet dancer at the opera. While she was explaining how difficult it was to find your place in an environment that considers itself only capable of welcoming people of white color, she returned to an episode in contemporary history that marked the spirits. During the 1994 world championships in Japan, her performance was such that she – and her entire team – was convinced to get the gold medal. His Japanese competitor who succeeds him offers a good performance but technically inferior. However, it is the latter that takes first place. The French skater is therefore angry with the judges and shows up at the medal ceremony late and crying after declaring: “I did everything I could, but I didn’t paint myself white, that’s for sure”.

Strong reactions

If Surya Bonaly lives today far from the French media sphere, in the United States where she became a trainer, her experience marked a whole generation of people who experienced the same discrimination as her, which we realize thanks to the testimonials from the guests of the documentary. And the broadcast of this documentary allowed others to understand and feel empathy for this young athlete who felt she had been victim of injustice. On Twitter, nshadowy were the reactions after the broadcast of this particular passage. So much so that on January 19, the day after the passage of the documentary, “Surya Bonaly” remains in top tweet, that is to say one of the most commented subjects on the social network. Through their messages, Internet users, touched, have in a way paid tribute to the sportswoman. This will soon be the subject of a biopic in the form of a mini-series.