Former French Olympic figure skater Surya Bonaly revealed that her medals were stolen from her Las Vegas home by a pair of thieves while she was away caring for her mother, who is battling cancer.
The theft and public appeal
The 51-year-old athlete took to Instagram to share the heartbreaking news, asking the public and local pawn shops around Las Vegas to be on the lookout for her stolen medals.
“You see all those medals that I won in the past while competing in different world and European championships are sadly gone. Several days ago, someone, I mean a couple, burglarized my home and stole all my valuable items,” she wrote.
Security footage from Bonaly’s home, located about seven miles west of the Las Vegas Strip, captured what appeared to be a coordinated burglary. The footage showed multiple individuals arriving over four days, smashing windows, disabling cameras, and cutting Wi-Fi connections.
Organized burglary captured on camera
The video, obtained by Fox 5 Vegas, revealed a man in a black hoodie, accompanied by a woman wearing what looked like a delivery vest, breaking into her home.
“I think it’s definitely organized by a company or by some bad people,” Bonaly told the outlet.
At the time of the break-in, Bonaly was in Minnesota caring for her mother, who is battling lung, breast, and sternum cancer.
The devastating discovery
When Bonaly returned home three days later, she found her house ransacked and all her medals missing, including European and world championship titles that defined her career between 1989 and 1995.
“European champion or world champion, junior, everything, any medals that I had with my skating,” she said.
The medals were not just awards but symbols of a lifetime of achievement. “I was there when the president of my French country gave me that as a present. So it’s a big honor,” she said, expressing heartbreak over their loss.
Living with heartbreak and hope
The three-time Olympian admitted the theft left her devastated. “Well, just, I feel mad. I feel like sometimes I feel like I want to cry,” she said. “Some people just feel like it’s better to steal something from someone than to go to work.”
Bonaly later found a vest resembling the one worn by the female burglar, discarded near her home. Despite the ordeal, she said she still loves her neighborhood and plans to remain there, but will increase security with additional cameras.
“I’m hoping that I can find maybe some medals. I’m hoping, and I pray really, that no one’s going to melt that medal,” she added.
A trailblazer in figure skating
Born in Nice, France, and adopted from an orphanage as an infant, Bonaly began skating at a young age. She went on to win five European titles, nine French national championships, and represent France in three Winter Olympics, 1992, 1994, and 1998.
Bonaly became internationally known for her athleticism and daring style, including her famous one-footed backflip at the 1998 Nagano Olympics — a move that was banned but remains one of the sport’s most iconic moments.
Looking back on her groundbreaking performance, Bonaly told Olympics.com, “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.”
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating the burglary.
