Japan’s Ami Yuasa dances her way to gold in first Olympic breaking final

Japanese B-Girl Ami beats Lithuania’s Nicka in the gold medal competition as breaking makes a cameo at the Olympics.

The urban sport of breaking spun its way onto the Olympic stage for the first and possibly last time, with Japan’s B-Girl Ami winning the inaugural women’s gold.

Breaking, better known as breakdancing, made its debut amid the grand elegance of Paris’s Place de la Concorde, with 17 dancers known as B-Girls going head-to-head in a series of battles on Friday.

Ami, whose name is Ami Yuasa, beat Lithuania’s Dominika “Nicka” Banevic in the final, with China’s Liu “671” Qingyi taking bronze.

The sport blends urban dance with acrobatic moves set to the grooves of hip-hop music.

Its appearance at the Olympics could be a fleeting one, however, having already been dropped from the Los Angeles 2028 programme and no guarantees it will return in the future.

“It was disappointing it was decided that it wouldn’t be in LA, particularly before we even had a chance to show it,” said Australian B-Girl Rachel “Raygun” Gunn.

“I think that was possibly a little premature. I wonder if they’re kicking themselves now.”

Organisers ensured breaking made the most of its time in the spotlight in Paris, pumping up the volume for an excited crowd that included rapper Snoop Dogg.

“I still don’t believe that I’m here because breaking is so different,” said Italian Antilai Sandrini, known by her B-Girl name Anti.

“I never thought about breaking at the Olympics, so for me, it’s really huge.”

Afghan B-Girl makes political statement

The first contest of the day was between India Sardjoe of the Netherlands, known by her B-Girl name India, and Refugee Olympic Team competitor, Talash.

Talash, whose real name is Manizha Talash, left Taliban-controlled Afghanistan to live in Spain two years ago and danced wearing a blue cape with “Free Afghan Women” printed on it.

“There are so many people that are struggling everywhere, and this is why the world needs this,” said American B-Girl Logistx, also known as Logan Edra.

Breaking originated as part of hip-hop culture in New York in the 1970s.

What began in the block parties of the Bronx has reached the fountains and classical facades of one of Paris’s most opulent public spaces, overseen by the International Olympic Committee.

Logistx said finding a balance between breaking’s roots and Olympic competition had been “a messy process”.

“I’m just so happy with what everyone fought for on this journey because I feel like the culture pulled through,” she said.

Each battle sees B-Girls take turns to lay down their dance moves over a set number of rounds, with a panel of judges determining the winner.

The competition opened with a pool stage featuring four groups of four B-Girls, before moving onto the knockout round.

The B-Girls perform on a circular stage, accompanied by a DJ pumping out hip-hop classics and MCs hyping up the crowd.

B-Girls in the women’s event come from countries as diverse as Japan, Lithuania, Morocco and Australia.

The men’s competition takes place on Saturday.