This was the debut of breaking at the Paris Olympics :: Olé

09/08/2024 18:04hs.

He breakingor break dance, joined in Paris 2024 to other urban sports such as skateboarding, climbing and BMX freestyle. While these disciplines had already been presented in previous editions of the Games, the dance style, which was born on the streets of New York in the 1970s, finally had its space on the most important stage in the world as new member of the competition.

With the aim of bringing youth closer to the event, its debut was not only historic for being the first time it was contested as an official sport at the Olympic event, but also for the stir it caused on social media. And it is that digital platforms, since the competition began, were flooded with videos and comments about the dancers’ performances.

However, it wasn’t all applause and cheers. One of the reasons why the break went viral was the participation of Australian dancer Rachel Gunn, known as Raygunwhose performance left much to be desired. Her routine, far from meeting Olympic expectations, quickly became material for memes and internet criticismThe 36-year-old’s performance was in stark contrast to the level of her competitors.

Raygun’s performance at Paris 2024 went viral on social media. (EFE)

In the first phase, The Oceanic team recorded a 0-3 markwith losses to Logistics (USA), Syssy (France) and Nika (Lithuania). According to her Olympic profile, Gunn has a background as a jazz and ballroom dancer, and also works as a university professor.

The women’s competition, which ended this Friday, saw the Japanese Amy Yuasa make history and become the first gold medalist in this disciplineheld at the Place de la Concorde. The 25-year-old dancer defeated Lithuanian Dominika Banevič, who took the silver medal, with a score of 16 to 11 after three rounds. Minutes earlier, Chinese Liu Qingyi won the bronze medal. The men’s competition will be held on Saturday.

Japan’s Ami Yuasa has won the first gold medal in breaking history. (REUTER)

How breaking works at the Olympics

Competing individually, with two categories: B-Boys (men) and B-Girls (women). Battles are one-on-one, with rounds that include sets of 30 to 60 seconds. Competitors They must demonstrate choreographies that stand out for their originality and creativity.First, there are qualifying rounds, where all participants are evaluated by judges. Then, there is direct elimination, with one-on-one battles, where the loser is eliminated and the winner advances. The finals determine the gold, silver and bronze medals.

The first Olympic medalists in the history of breaking. (REUTER)

The judges’ scoring system is also based on their evaluation of the competitors, according to five main criteria: technique (30 points), creativity (20), musicality (20), stage presence (15) and difficulty (15). The scores can be revised if necessary, but in the end, The competitor with the highest score wins the battle.