American women shut out at first Olympic breaking competition
Ami of Japan performs during the fourteenth day of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in France, Friday August 9, 2024. (Photo by John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images)
PARIS - Breaking made its Olympics debut on Friday in a much anticipated high-energy competition that ended with the first medals ever awarded to breakdancers.
Japanese performer – or b-girl, as breaking performers are known – Ami Yuasa took the gold medal after three rounds, topping b-girl Nicka of Lithuania.
In all, 33 breakers representing 15 countries and the Refugee Olympic Team participated in the women’s event Friday. Both American b-girls, Logistx and Sunni, were eliminated in the first round.
Women's breaking results
- Gold medal: Ami (Ami Yuasa) – Japan
- Silver medal: Nicka (Dominika Banevič) – Lithuania
- Bronze medal: 671 (Liu Qingyi) – China
What they’re saying
"Breaking is my expression," Ami said. It's an "expression, an art, but I want to say that breaking also could be part of sports."
"Olympics needed breaking because it's like a breath of fresh air," said runner-up Nicka. "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."
"I feel like I still shined and I feel like I still represented the dance and had some moments," offered American Logan Edra. who performs as Logistx. "It was such a big opportunity, it’s such a big platform, and I’m really happy that we’re here."
How is breaking judged?
A panel of nine judges, all b-boys and b-girls from around the world, scored the breakers based on technique, vocabulary, execution, musicality and originality. Each facet accounts for 20% of the final score.
Men’s breaking schedule
B-boys will take the stage on Saturday at Place de la Concorde stadium starting at 10 a.m. ET.