August 09, (THEWILL) – Breaking, the urban dance style, made its Olympic debut on Friday, at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. The women’s competition featured 17 dancers, known as B-Girls, competing in head-to-head battles to determine the first Olympic champion in this discipline.
The sport’s inclusion in the Olympics may be short-lived, as it has already been removed from the Los Angeles 2028 program. However, organisers ensured a lively atmosphere for its debut, with excited crowds and even rapper Snoop Dogg in attendance.
The competition began with a match between India Sardjoe of the Netherlands and Manizha Talash of the Refugee Olympic Team. Talash, who left Afghanistan two years ago, performed wearing a cape with “Free Afghan Women” printed on it.
Breaking originated in New York’s hip-hop culture during the 1970s. The Olympic format involves B-Girls performing dance moves in turns over several rounds, with judges determining the winner. The event starts with a pool stage of four groups, followed by a knockout phase.
Competitors come from diverse countries including Japan, Lithuania, Morocco, and Australia. The reigning women’s world champion is Lithuania’s Dominika Banevic, while Victor Montalvo of the United States holds the men’s title.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
