Breaking makes Olympic debut as Japan's Ami takes women's gold

Japan's b-girl Ami won gold at the Olympics' first breaking event by spinning, flipping and toprocking past a field of 16 dancers Friday in a high-energy competition that may not return for future Games.

Ami, legally named Ami Yuasa, won all three rounds in a battle against b-girl Nicka (Dominika Banevi) from Lithuania to clinch the gold, wrapping up a long day of flow, rhythm and skill at Place de la Concorde stadium.

B-girls stunned the crowd with power moves like headspins, windmills and backflips. Fans remained energetic throughout the evening, which began in the afternoon and ended just before 10 p.m.

"Now a lot of people outside the breaking scene have seen it and it will only grow from here," b-girl Nicka said.
Beginning in the quarterfinals phase, eight b-girls from the original 17 squared off in knockout battles of three rounds each to narrow down to the finals. Banevi won the silver medal, and China's b-girl 671 (Liu Qingyi) took the bronze after battling with b-girl India (India Sardjo) from the Netherlands to "Boom!" by The Roots. Liu is a relative newcomer to the breaking scene.

Breaking makes its Olympic debut

A panel of nine judges, all b-boys and b-girls in their own right from around the world, scored the breakers based on the Trivium judging system: on technique, vocabulary, execution, musicality and originality - each accounts for 20 per centof the final score.

Each of the b-girls began by catching the beat as they danced while on their feet - a series called "toprocking" - before launching into their footwork moves on the floor. The soundtrack to their routines was a surprise for each of them, as two DJs spun records on a turntable set up behind the judges.

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Olympic refugee breakdancer reveals 'Free Afghan Women' cape while competing at Paris 2024

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Olympic refugee team breakdancer Manizha Talash, known as B-girl Talash, removes her shirt to reveal a "Free Afghan Women" cape during competition at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Talash was born in Afghanistan but fled the country in 2021 after the Taliban returned to power.

For anyone doubting, thejudges sat between the circular floor, modelled after a record, and a massive replica of a boombox, in a nod to the musical root of breaking - the break beat itself - which is the moment when a song's vocals drop and the DJ loops the beat over and over. That allows b-boys and b-girls to make their mark on the dance floor.

Breaking is judged qualitatively because of its roots as an art form, and judges use a sliding scale to score each round and battle, adjusting the scale towards the breaker who is winning in each of the above criteria. Throughout, two emcees respond to the personalities and signature moves of each of the breakers to hype up the crowd.

The challenge for organizers was to bring breaking and hip-hop culture to a mass audience, including many viewers who were skeptical about the dance form's addition to the Olympic roster. But after Friday's marathon of battles, there's no doubting the athletic ability and physicality.

Beyond their physical ability, breakers had to make sure to showcase their style and individuality - essential to the culture of hip-hop and breaking. Throughout the evening, two emcees responded to the personalities and signature moves of each of the breakers to hype up the crowd.

In all, 33 breakers representing 15 countries and the Refugee Olympic Team made Olympic history on Friday. On Saturday, the b-boys take the stage in what might be their only shot to battle it out for god at the Olympics in the foreseeable future. Breaking was added as an Olympic sport for Paris, but it is not on the slate for Los Angeles in 2028.

Before the battle began, American rapper Snoop Dogg made a grand entrance into the stadium to the soundtrack of "Drop it Like it's Hot," prompting cheers and dancing in the stands. The emcees introduced the 17 b-girls competing on Friday, with the b-girls from France and the U.S. received the loudest applause from the crowd.

Canada's Kim debuts Saturday

Although no Canadians qualified for the women's event, b-boy Phil Wizard (Kim) is a medal hopeful in the men's competition. The Vancouver native comes into the event boasting a resume headlined by a 2023 world championship silver medal, and 2022 world championship gold.

Kim begins his gold-medal hunt on Saturday at 10a.m. ET, streaming live on CBC Gem and CBC Sports' Paris 2024 website and app.

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Olympic FOMO host Mark Strong talks breaking strategy with CBC's Dale Manucdoc and predicts that the wizardry of Phil 'Wizard' Kim will help the Canadian bring home a gold medal.