Breaking rocks Paris in short turn on Olympic podium

PARIS: Breaking’s unique combination of artistry and athleticism captured the world’s attention this week at the Paris Olympics and left fans wanting more, despite it likely being a one-off Olympic sport.

The Games’ newest attraction took place at Place de La Concorde, the site of many historic moments that could not possibly compare to those in which the shooters took part during two days of action.

With hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach in the front row, the female breakers got the party off to a stylish start on Friday with some gripping face-offs.

Ultimately, experienced Japanese B-Girl Ami (Ami Yuasa) defeated 17-year-old Lithuanian B-Girl Nicka (Dominika Banevic) and danced to the first ever gold medal in break.

The sport, which originated in the 1970s at block parties in New York’s Bronx borough, has also produced its fair share of unexpected drama.

Afghan B-girl Manizha Talash, a member of the Olympic refugee team, was disqualified after she had the words “Free Afghan Women” printed on her cape during the qualifying rounds.

Later in the day, B-Girl Raygun (Rachael Gunn), a 36-year-old Australian university lecturer, stood out for her unique approach to the sport, leading to countless online memes.

Gunn accepted the backlash – sometimes mocking, sometimes praising – and sat laughing in the stands at the men’s competition on Saturday as Australia’s chef de mission Anna Meares responded to criticism from “trolls and keyboard heroes.”

On Saturday, the world’s 16 best male breakers took to the stage at the cypher, a stage that resembles a cross between a disco dance floor and a mixed martial arts octagon.

There, Canadian B-Boy Phil Wizard (Philip Kim) won a gold medal with an enchanting performance by beating popular French B-Boy Dany Dann (Danis Civil).

The party wasn’t limited to the location itself, as music and dance performances took place all over the grounds. The atmosphere was more like a summer music festival than a sports event.

Breaking was added to the Paris 2024 programme in an effort to attract a younger and more diverse fan base to the Olympic Games.

Although the event will not be held in Los Angeles in 2028, the athletes said they were happy to be in the spotlight of the Olympic Games.

“I’ve dedicated my life to this,” said B-Boy Phil Wizard.

“It’s an underrated sport and I hope today we showed the world how great breaking is.”