Japanese B-girl Ami beats Lithuanian Nicka in the fight for the gold medal and thus celebrates a guest appearance in breakdancing at the Olympic Games.
The urban sport of breakdancing made it to the Olympic stage for the first and possibly last time when Japanese B-girl Ami won the first gold medal in the women’s category.
Breaking, better known as breakdancing, made its debut amid the magnificent elegance of Paris’ Place de la Concorde, where 17 dancers, known as B-Girls, competed in a series of battles on Friday.
Ami, whose name is Ami Yuasa, defeated Lithuanian Dominika “Nicka” Banevic in the final, while China’s Liu “671” Qingyi took bronze.
The sport combines urban dance with acrobatic movements to the grooves of hip-hop music.
However, his appearance at the Olympic Games could be short-lived, as he has already been removed from the Los Angeles 2028 program and there is no guarantee of a future return.
“It was disappointing that it was decided it wouldn’t play in LA, especially before we even had a chance to show it,” said Australian B-girl Rachel “Raygun” Gunn.
“I think that may have been a bit hasty. I wonder if they’re kicking themselves now.”
Organizers made sure Breaking made the most of its spotlight in Paris by turning up the volume for an excited crowd that included rapper Snoop Dogg.
“I still don’t believe I’m here because breaking is so different,” said Italian Antilai Sandrini, known by her B-girl name Anti.
“I never thought I would break through to the Olympics, so this is really huge for me.”
Afghan B-Girl makes political statement
The first competition of the day was between India Sardjoe from the Netherlands, known by her B-girl name India, and Talash, a member of the Refugee Olympic Team.
Talash, whose real name is Manizha Talash, left Taliban-controlled Afghanistan two years ago to live in Spain, dancing wearing a blue cloak emblazoned with the words “Free Afghan Women.”
“There are so many people fighting everywhere and that’s why the world needs this,” said American B-Girl Logistx, also known as Logan Edra.
Breaking emerged as part of the hip hop culture of the 1970s in New York, USA.
What began in the street festivals of the Bronx is now reflected in the fountains and classical facades of one of Paris’ most magnificent public squares, overseen by the International Olympic Committee.
According to Logistx, finding a balance between breaking news and Olympic competitions was “a chaotic process”.
“I’m just so happy with what everyone has fought for on this journey because I feel like the culture has made it,” she said.
In each battle, the B-Girls take turns showing their dance steps over a set number of rounds. The winner is chosen by a jury.
The competition began with a pool phase with four groups of four B-Girls each before moving on to the knockout round.
The B-Girls perform on a round stage, accompanied by a DJ playing hip-hop classics and MCs energizing the crowd.
The B-Girls in the women’s competition come from countries as diverse as Japan, Lithuania, Morocco and Australia.
The men’s competition takes place on Saturday.
