Breaking makes head-spinning Olympic debut

Breaking made its hotly anticipated Olympic debut arsenic head-spinning, DJs and a full caller vocabulary took centre shape successful Paris.

From its apical stone to freezes, down stone to drops, nan Games' newest athletics wowed fans successful nan noisy open-air arena pinch its blend of acrobatic moves, spins and analyzable footwork earlier crowning its first Olympic champion successful Japan's Ami.

Nicka of Lithuania spun her measurement to metallic and China's 671 took bronze.

Breaking – a style of thoroughfare creation that originated successful 1970s New York City - has been introduced to pull caller and younger audiences to nan Games.

One of nan French capital's astir celebrated parks - nan Place de la Concorde - has been transformed into an municipality sports area for these Games and it was here, pinch nan Eiffel Tower and Grand Palais successful nan skyline, that breaking burst connected to its biggest shape to a thumping beat.

Two lively masters of ceremonies (MCs) gave regular explanations to a crowd who mightiness person been watching for nan first clip arsenic 16 b-girls faced disconnected successful one-on-one battles done a round-robin and knockout phase.

It was portion show, portion sport, portion creation - but each fun.

There are not galore Olympic events, aft all, wherever nan judges springiness their ain capacity earlier they caput for their seats.

And they were not judging according to a prescribed scoring strategy of points for moves - they simply utilized a integer slider to vote.

There were not moreover group routines - nan b-girls, arsenic nan female dancers are called, person nary thought what euphony nan DJs will take to play truthful their 60-second turns (throw downs) are improvised.

But nan moves were spectacular - regularly drafting 'oooohs' from nan crowd arsenic they spun around, balanced connected their caput aliases 1 hand, swung done flairs aliases froze connected nan spot while contorted.

And nan gestures were immense - finger-wagging and posturing while their rival performed, but besides clapping each different connected and embracing.

It was clear some fans and athletes were savouring nan moment, particularly since location is nary guarantee it will ever beryllium astatine nan Olympics again.

It is not connected nan programme for Los Angeles successful 4 years' time, but this energetic debut whitethorn person been watched pinch liking by nan organisers of Brisbane 2032 while they style their Games.

"I'm super-happy to beryllium here," said 2022 world champion India, who mislaid to 671 successful nan bronze-medal battle.

"It intends a lot. It is nan first clip that breaking has been connected specified a precocious level - it's nan biggest showcase successful nan world."

Rapper Snoop Dogg opened nan event, while International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach was successful nan stands to witnesser the latest athletics he has brought into nan fold.

Added to nan Games arsenic portion of nan IOC's thrust to pull caller and younger audiences, it joined skateboarding, athletics climbing and BMX freestyle among municipality sports connected nan schedule.

It is nan b-boys' move connected Saturday to conflict for golden successful a athletics whose roots tin beryllium traced to nan Bronx, New York successful nan 1970s as portion of hip-hop culture.

Organisers had been getting everyone successful nan temper for breaking each week successful nan municipality sports parkland astatine La Concorde.

From displays earlier nan skateboarding to b-girls and b-boys carrying retired their believe sessions successful beforehand of nan public, location had been a existent thrust to bring a flavour of what fans could expect from a athletics galore will ne'er person seen before.

And it proved popular.

From kids successful gangways trying retired moves they had seen, to others gamely taking portion successful nan nationalist 'have-a-go' sessions astir nan park, nan athletics has been embraced.

It has caller fans but besides drawn praise from those progressive successful breaking for a agelong time.

"It's awesome that it's getting this benignant of visibility and that each these group who person worked truthful difficult are being celebrated," erstwhile dancer Kid Keir, Physical Jerks Crew, told BBC Sport.

"Some group consciousness that breaking/b-boying is an creation shape and isn't really a sport, truthful shouldn't beryllium successful nan Olympics. Mainly because individuality, creativity, and musicality are cardinal to this creation form, and location isn't a 'right way' to do things, truthful judging is very subjective.

"Personally, I person nan top respect for anyone who puts themselves retired location and useful truthful difficult astatine their passion."