PARIS, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Olympic men's breakdancing competition concluded on Saturday with Canadian B-Boy Philip Kim, known as B-Boy Phil Wizard, winning the gold medal, while China's Qi Xiangyu (B-Boy Lithe-ing) was eliminated in the group stage.
Held at the iconic Place de la Concorde, this competition marked the final event at the venue during the Paris Olympics. Over the past ten days, the urban sports park has showcased several new Olympic sports, including skateboarding, freestyle BMX, 3x3 basketball, and the highly anticipated debut of breakdancing.
The group stage began in the afternoon, with Qi facing formidable opponents. His group featured two-time world champion Victor Montalvo (B-Boy Victor) from the United States, Asian Games champion Shigeyuki Nakarai (B-Boy Shigekix) from Japan, and another rising Japanese star, Hiroto Ono (B-Boy Hiro10). Qi had previously been bested by Montalvo in the semifinals of last year's World Championships and by B-Boy Shigekix in the semifinals of the Hangzhou Asian Games.
"I felt immense pressure as soon as I saw the group draw. Two of them I've faced before but never beaten, and the other I know is very strong," Qi admitted in a post-match interview.
In his three group matches, Qi initially secured a 2-0 victory over B-Boy Hiro10. However, he then lost 2-0 to Montalvo. In the final match against B-Boy Shigekix, Qi fought hard to earn a 1-1 draw, but ultimately finished third in his group, failing to advance to the knockout stage.
B-Boy Victor and B-Boy Shigekix, who both advanced to the semifinals, were eventually defeated by France's B-Boy Dany Dann and Canada's B-Boy Phil Wizard, respectively.
In the final, B-Boy Phil Wizard delivered a stellar performance, winning 3-0 against B-Boy Dany Dann to claim the first-ever Olympic gold medal in men's breakdancing. In the bronze medal match, B-Boy Victor convincingly defeated B-Boy Shigekix 3-0.
"This is a historic victory. Reaching the Olympic stage after two years of ranking events and qualifiers was unlike any competition we've been in before-this is a unique championship. I'm thrilled to win this gold medal for my country, and I'm also proud that we represented breakdancing and the Hip-Hop community at the Olympics," said B-Boy Phil Wizard.
The two-day event marked the Olympic debut of breakdancing, though the sport will not feature as a medal event at the following Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
