Canada’s B-Boy Phil Wizard received the inaugural Olympic males’s breaking gold in Paris and mentioned he was hoping it “opens doorways to folks” concerned within the high-energy dance game.
Phil Wizard, whose actual identify is Philip Kim, beat France’s B-Boy Dany Dann in Saturday’s ultimate amid the opulent grandeur of the Position de l. a. Concorde, with B-Boy Victor of USA taking bronze.
Breaking, higher referred to as breakdancing, is making its first and perhaps final look on the Olympics, having been left off the programme for Los Angeles 2028.
Phil Wizard mentioned that breaking used to be “an underappreciated game” and was hoping its Olympic debut would exchange folks’s minds.
“I am hoping that nowadays used to be an excellent instance of revealing the arena how implausible breaking is – that used to be in reality my simplest objective right here,” mentioned the 27-year-old, a former global champion.
“I’m so thankful and so satisfied to come back out with the win however greater than the rest, I simply sought after to turn the arena what breaking is.”
The contest noticed 16 dancers, referred to as B-Boys, going head-to-head in a sequence of battles, beginning with a pool level sooner than shifting to a knock-out spherical.
Phil Wizard had the group towards him within the ultimate towards native hero Dany Dann, a 36-year-old with blue hair whose actual identify is Danis Civil.
However the Canadian quickly had them consuming out of his hand due to his implausible regimen, for which the judges awarded him a 3-Zero victory.
“I used to be stressed of my thoughts,” mentioned Phil Wizard.
“It’s been a whirlwind of emotion. I cried my eyes out as a result of I used to be so scared to do that.
“There’s been numerous force, numerous expectancies – I’m happy I used to be in a position to ship.”
Gold medallist Canada’s Philip Kim, referred to as B-Boy Phil Wizard, centre, poses with silver medallist France’s Danis Civil, referred to as B-Boy Dany Dann, left, and bronze medallist, USA’s Victor Montalvo, referred to as B-Boy Victor after the breaking finals pageant at Los angeles Concorde City Park in Paris [AP/Frank Franklin II]
‘All about self-expression’
Danny Dann, a former Ecu champion, mentioned he felt like he had “represented breaking” to the arena.
“I’m thrilled, I in point of fact didn’t suppose I might win this medal,” he mentioned, revealing that he dyed his hair blue as it used to be his “fortunate color”.
“I simply went there to peer how issues would cross and I’m going house with a silver medal!”
In spite of the impressive strikes on display, Phil Wizard mentioned the panel of judges had been searching for “one thing new each spherical”.
“It’s possible you’ll neatly suppose it’s probably the most explosive, loopy dynamic actions that rating probably the most issues,” he mentioned.
“However in breaking, there’s numerous other classes and crucial factor is originality and variety of motion.”
The B-Boys carry out on a round level, accompanied by way of DJs pumping out hip-hop classics and MCs hyping up the group.
Breaking originated within the block events held within the Bronx in New York within the 1970s.
B-Boy Victor, sometimes called Victor Montalvo, mentioned the contest represented “the real essence of hip hop and breaking tradition”.
“We simply wish to ensure that we display everybody that it’s a dance, to begin with,” mentioned Victor, who beat Japan’s Shigekix for the bronze medal.
“It’s all about self-expression, it’s all about originality. It’s now not as regards to giant strikes.”
