PARIS (AP) — 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 Banevič) from Lithuania to clinch the gold. This victory wrapped up a long day of breakers putting hip-hop culture on the Olympic stage with their flow, rhythm, and skill at Place de la Concorde stadium.
“Breaking is my expression,” Yuasa said. It’s an “expression, an art, but I want to say that breaking also could be part of sports.”
B-girls stunned the crowd with power moves like headspins, windmills, and backflips. Fans remained energetic throughout the competition, which began in the afternoon and ended just before 10 p.m.
Japanese Victory at the Olympics
The victory of Japan’s b-girl Ami signifies a breakthrough for the sport and demonstrates the skill and talent of b-girls worldwide. It showcases the evolving diversity and inclusivity of the Olympics by introducing breaking as a competitive event.
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. Banevič 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.
“Olympics needed breaking because it’s like a breath of fresh air,” Banevič said. “Such a big amount of people saw breaking for the first time, like it’s huge. And I’m happy that I was able to represent at the highest level of the art form for breaking.”
American Disappointment at Olympic Breaking
Both American b-girls were eliminated in the first round, a blow to the country representing the birthplace of hip-hop and breaking culture. B-girl Logistx (legal name Logan Edra) and b-girl Sunny (Sunny Choi) both ranked in the top 12 internationally but came up short of the quarterfinals.
“I feel like I still shined and I feel like I still represented the dance and had some moments,” Logistx said. “It was such a big opportunity, it’s such a big platform, and I’m really happy that we’re here.”
The Art and Sport of Breaking on Display
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% of the final score.
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.
Historical Representation at the Olympics
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 gold 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.
Overall, the introduction of breaking at the Olympics not only celebrates the artistry and athleticism of breakers but also embraces the cultural significance and diversity within the hip-hop community.
Associated Press Race & Ethnicity Editor Aaron Morrison contributed to this report from New York.
