The Paris 2024 Olympics welcomed several new sports this year, one of which was breaking. More commonly referred to as breakdancing, the sport—a foundational part of hip-hop culture—started in the Bronx back in the 1980s, but only made its Olympic debut this year at Place de la Concorde stadium. Bringing home the first-ever gold trophies in the event were Canada’s Phil Wizard, who beat France’s Dany Dann in the b-boys gold medal battle, and Japan’s Ami, who outdid Lithuania’s Nicka in the b-girls gold medal battle. Watch their respective winning performances below.
A panel of nine judges scored all breaking competitors on five criteria: technique, vocabulary, execution, musicality, and originality. Both b-boys and b-girls could not choose their performance music; instead, two DJs spun records on a turntable behind the judges, cementing an element of surprise and improvisation in the sport. Breakers were required to showcase their own style and individuality in their moves as well.
Earlier today (August 11), a star-studded cast of musicians performed at the Paris 2024 Olympics closing ceremony. Phoenix brought out Air, Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig, Angèle, Kavinsky, and others for their big set celebrating France, while H.E.R. performed the American national anthem. To symbolize the handover from Paris to Los Angeles, the upcoming host city of the 2028 Olympics, a bunch of American musicians performed on the city’s famed beaches: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre.