Athletic greatness can’t be measured through medals or any kind of accolade. However, that shiny stuff is something that every athlete chases. The same case was for Surya Bonaly, a name synonymous with athletic brilliance and defiance in the world of figure skating. She is a former Olympian whose achievements have left a permanent mark on the sport. During her illustrious career, Bonaly was a dominant force, capturing the World Junior Champion title in 1991 and then going on to secure an impressive five consecutive European Championship wins from 1991 to 1995.

She was also a three-time World Championship silver medalist (1993-1995) and a nine-time French national champion, triumphs that established her as one of the most formidable skaters of her era. Bonaly revolutionized women’s figure skating with her powerful, acrobatic style, famously becoming the first and only woman to land a backflip on a single blade at the Olympic Games during the 1998 Nagano Olympics. Reflecting on that iconic moment years later, Bonaly said, “I appreciate it so much more now. I’m more proud of myself today than I was all those years ago when I actually did the backflip.”

Today, the champion skater, who now resides and works as a coach in Las Vegas, which has a population of almost 700,000, is facing a devastating personal tragedy. Bonaly recently took to Instagram to convey her heartbreak after her home was burglarized, stating, “You see all those medals that I won in the past while competing in different worlds and European championships are sadly gone. Several days ago someone, I mean a couple burglarized my home and stole all my valuable. Little reminder to Vegas residents or Pawn Shops, if you ever see some foreign gold and silver medals for sales, please please call the police immediately.”

The burglary occurred while Bonaly was away from her Las Vegas home, caring for her mother, who is battling cancer. Security footage revealed a calculated operation, with different individuals arriving over several days, shattering windows, tearing down cameras, and cutting the WiFi. The figure skating legend described the incident as well-organized, and upon returning three days after the break-in, she discovered her home had been completely ransacked.

The stolen medals represent the pinnacle of her career and are of immense sentimental value. She emphasized the honor they represented, noting, “I was there when the president of my French country gave me that as a present. So it’s a big honor.” The loss has left her feeling a torrent of emotions, from anger to profound sadness, as she said, “Well, just — I feel mad. I feel like sometimes I feel like I want to cry. Some people just feel like it’s better to steal something from someone than to go to work.”

Despite this profound loss, the figure skating legend stated that she still loves her neighborhood and plans to remain in her home, though she intends to install additional security cameras, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is actively investigating the burglary. However, many other athletes have also shared the same fate as Bonaly.

Other Olympic athletes who got into unfortunate circumstances, just like figure skating legend Surya Bonaly

The heartbreaking theft of Surya Bonaly’s medals is, unfortunately, a fate shared by other elite athletes. For instance, Australian rowing legend Drew Ginn, a multiple Olympic gold medalist, had four of his medals stolen from his car in Melbourne in 2024.

Ginn expressed the profound personal loss, stating, “They’ve got a lot of value for family and friends… but you can’t insure them. They were hidden away in the car but the car was ransacked completely so lots of stuff was broken and destroyed. There might be a market out there for this kind of thing but you’d hope sensibility would play out and, in the end, I know other medals have been returned in years gone by so we hope that that happens in this case.”

Similarly, Hungarian fencer Laszlo Csongradi, who won gold at the 1988 Seoul Games, had his medal stolen from his home in 2024. “I shouted at him, and he was startled so he ran away. I immediately went to check on the medal and saw it wasn’t in its place. I was desperate and looked around, but it was nowhere to be found, so I called the police,” Csongradi shared his terrifying experience.

Watching his medals go also made his life miserable, as it affected his relationships. As the Hungarian recalled, “I was completely devastated. All my relationships suffered because of my mental state at that time.” He also received replacement medals from the IOC, but eventually, after two months, he got back the stolen medals. These incidents underscore a painful vulnerability, where the physical tokens of a lifetime of achievement can be lost in an instant to crime.