Breaking recap, Aug. 9: Ami wins sport's first-ever Olympic gold medal (2024)

Five decades after the art form began in the Bronx, breaking has officially arrived at the Olympic Games.

On Friday, the sport made its highly anticipated Olympic debut entering the final weekend of the Paris Games, kicking off with the women's event.

Japan's Ami Yuasa (B-Girl Ami), 25, took down Lithuania's Dominika Banevic (B-Girl Nicka), 17, in the gold medal battle to become breaking's first-ever Olympic gold medalist. Nicka's silver earned Lithuania its fourth medal of the Paris Games.

China's Liu Qingyi (B-Girl 671) took bronze after overpowering India Sardjoe (B-Girl India) in the bronze battle.

Note, if you're new to breaking: In breaking, you will often see athletes referred to by both their full name and their "B-Boy" or "B-Girl" names (ex. B-Boy Phil Wizard, B-Girl Logistx). On first reference, you will see both names used. On second reference, you will often see the B-Boy and B-Girl names used on their own.

See below for recaps, highlights, athlete soundbites and more.

Winner
Ami

Ami (Japan) vs. Nicka (Lithuania): Ami goes down in history as the first-ever Olympic gold medalist in the sport of breaking. She beat Nicka in a 3-0 vote, carried by the polish and consistency she is internationally respected for. As for Nicka, who entered as the reigning world champion, the young Lithuanian takes home silver in another impressive building block for her budding breaking career.

Winner
671

India (Netherlands) vs. 671 (China): B-Girl 671 wins the first-ever Olympic medal in the sport of breaking. Her relentless power move combinations put her on top in a 2-1 vote for bronze.

Semifinal 1

Advanced
Ami

Eliminated
India

Ami (Japan) vs. India (Netherlands): Ami and India went toe-to-toe in this battle, but it was Ami advancing to the gold medal final with a 2-1 vote. India brought the attitude and energy in spades but could not stand up to Ami’s dynamic and deciding third round that only experience could produce.

Semifinal 2

Advanced
Nicka

Eliminated
671

671 (China) vs. Nicka (Lithuania):Both competitors tried to go out first, but 671 held her ground and forced Nicka to step back and wait. The wait was worth it, though, as Nicka’s variety of well executed moves pushed her through to the gold medal battle via a 2-1 vote.

RESULTS

Quarterfinal 1

Ami (Japan) vs. Syssy (France): Syssy had the support of the hometown crowd behind her, but Ami’s veteran experience really stood out in this quarterfinal showdown with a 3-0 win. The two-time world champion showcased a level of technicality and clean movement that separated her from her opponent, especially as Syssy seemingly ran out of gas in her final outing.

Quarterfinal 2

Ayumi (Japan) vs. India (Netherlands): India’s ride from the pre-qualification round continued with a ticket punched to the semifinal as the 16-year-old upset the breaking icon, Ayumi, 2-1. India got the crowd going with a matrix coming out of a no-handed windmill and used her stamina to her advantage over Ayumi.

Quarterfinal 3

671 (China) vs. Kate (Ukraine): Kate brought the storytelling and individual expression in her performance, but was no match for 671’s level of difficulty. B-Girl 671 dominated the battle, 3-0, via her signature high-flying power moves. The judges did warn, though, that 671 was starting to repeat moves, and that is a big no-no in the improvisational world of breaking.

Quarterfinal 4

Ying Zi (China) vs. Nicka (Lithuania): The reigning world champion, Nicka, ousted Ying Zi, 3-0, receiving all but one vote on her way to the semifinal. Nicka brought the energy from start to finish and stayed impressively light on her feet throughout. Her UFOs to jackhammer back to UFOs in the second round of the battle fired up the crowd and the judges alike.

RESULTS

Group A

Advanced
India (Netherlands)
671 (China)

Eliminated
Vanessa (Portugal)
Sunny (U.S.)

Top battles
Sunny (U.S.) vs. 671 (China):In a battle of powerhouses,671came out with a dizzying array of power moves to set a high bar in Round 1.Sunnythen showed off much of her gymnastics influence with a few flips, but 671’s performance was too strong, and she earned a 2-0 victory (16 votes to 2).

India (Netherlands) vs. Vanessa (Portugal):In a matchup between two close friends,IndiaandVanessawent toe-to-toe in Group A action. India prevailed 2-0 in her second battle of the day after facing off in a pre-qualifier. India was the first European woman to qualify for the Olympics.

India vs. Sunny:India remained red-hot as she faced the American for the first time. She took down Sunny 2-0 thanks to a dizzying array of power moves and, in the process, remained undefeated.

A view of the crowd and judges as B-Girl Ami of Japan competes during the B-Girls Round Robin at the Paris Olympic Games.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Group B

Advanced
Nicka (Lithuania)
Syssy (France)

Eliminated
Logistx (U.S.)
Raygun (Australia)

Top battles:
Nicka (Lithuania) vs. Syssy (France):Reigning world championNicka, just 17 years old, opened her Paris Olympics in a showdown withSyssy, representing the host nation. Nicka showcased her signature move, the “UFO,” in which she crouches down in a squat-like position, lifts herself with her hands, folds her legs out, and spins around, creating what looks like a UFO.

The judges scored the battle 1-1 in rounds, but Nicka earned a victory with 11 votes to 7.(Note: When the round score is tied, the individual votes serve as a tiebreaker)

Syssy of France competes during the B-Girls Round Robin at the Paris Olympic Games.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Logistx (U.S.) vs. Raygun (Australia): The California-bornLogistxwas the best U.S. finisher at 2023 Worlds and delivered with a forceful performance againstRaygun. By 18 votes to 0 (2-0 in rounds), Logistx took down her Australian opponent. Known for her power moves, Logistx is considered the strongest U.S. hope for a medal.

Nicka vs. Logistx:A massive showdown betweenNickaandLogistxwas among the highlights of the round robin action, with Nicka winning 2-0 (13-5 in votes).

Syssy vs. Logistx: After taking the loss to Nicka, Logistx showed off some of her best stuff in a battle with the host nation's B-Girl. Logistx took the first round with explosive action, but Syssy punched back strong in Round 2 to even it 1-1. A massive elbow spin, executed right on beat, sealed the deal toward the end of her routine. In the end, Logistx still prevailed on votes, 10-8. Syssy forcing the 1-1 tie proved crucial, as she advanced to the quarterfinals by a single round over Logistx.

Group C

Advanced
Ami (Japan)
Ying Zi (China)

Eliminated
Anti (Italy)
Elmamouny (Morocco)

Top battles
Ami (Japan) vs. Anti (Italy):Japan’sAmidelivered a strong “rainbow” move to top Italy’sAnti2-0 in their battle. Ami is a two-time world champion (2019, 2022) and brought her strongest to Paris on Friday in taking down Anti.

Ying Zi (China) vs. Elmamouny (Morocco): Ying Zi, known for her freezes, showed up with a scintillating performance, toppingElmamouny 2-0. A former track and field star, Ying Zi grew up as a hurdles and triple jump specialist, which she says helps her breaking.

Group D

Advanced
Ayumi (Japan)
Stefani (Ukraine)

Eliminated
Kate (Ukraine)
Carlota (France)

Top battles
Ayumi (Japan) vs. Stefani (Ukraine):41-year-oldAyumi, an icon of the sport, made her Olympic debut to kick off Group D battles. She came out with a few windmills and handcuffs off the top and had much of the crowd behind her, winning Round 1. Ukraine’sStefanianswered back with a strong Round 2, highlighted by a dazzling thread. She took Round 2, forcing a 1-1 tie. On individual votes, Ayumi won 10-8. Ayumi enters as one of the women to beat in Paris – she made breaking history by becoming the first-ever woman to compete at the Red Bull BC One World Final in 2017, where she went head-to-head against men. A year later came the first B-Girl competition at the event.

Carlota (France) vs. Kate (Ukraine): Katetook downCarlota 2-0, leveraging her strong power moves and a phenomenal freeze for the victory.

Ayumi vs. Kate:Kate came out forcefully in Round 1 and surprisingly prevailed by an 8-1 vote count, putting the veteran on the ropes. Ayumi came back with a very intricate round to even it at 1-1 and force a split decision, with Kate prevailing by 12 votes to 6.

Kate vs. Stefani: In a decisive battle between two Ukrainians to determine the second qualifier out of Group D, Kate and Stefani each brought top-shelf footwork dynamics and power to the crucial showdown. Stefani eked out a slim win in Round 1, but Kate came back to take Round 2. In the end, by a margin of two votes, Stefani picked up the win to move on.