Japanese breakdancer Ami takes gold as breaking makes Olympic debut

PARIS, France — The urban sport of breaking spun its way onto the Olympic stage on Friday 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' Place de la Concorde, with 17 dancers known as B-Girls going head-to-head in a series of battles.

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

"I just focused on my style and I showed myself," said the 25-year-old Ami.

"I represented myself and showed the world what breaking is."

The sport's appearance at the Olympics could be a fleeting one however, having already been dropped from the Los Angeles 2028 program 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."

Organizers 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."

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' most opulent public spaces, overseen by the International Olympic Committee.

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