Paris 2024 Olympics | Breaking | B-Boys Bronze Medal Battle | La Concorde 1, Paris, France, August 10, 2024. – Reuters
PARIS: Japan's B-boys and B-girls showcased world-class talent when breaking made its Summer Games debut in Paris, but the country should not expect any more Olympic medals in the dance sport for the time being, according to Kyodo news agency.
Women's gold medalist Ami Yuasa and men's semifinalist Shigeyuki Nakarai were among the stars of the first, and maybe last, Olympic breaking competition, with the event having been omitted from the 2028 Los Angeles Games and looking unlikely for Brisbane in 2032.
Organisers seeking to add other sports to an already crowded Olympic programme made the decision before the dancers took to the stage at La Concorde in the heart of the French capital.
Squash and flag football are some of the sports set to be included for the first time in Los Angeles, while baseball and softball will return after being left off the schedule in Paris.
The 25-year-old Yuasa, aka B-girl Ami, expressed disappointment that a dance form pioneered by Black American youth in New York's Bronx borough would not feature at the next US-based Olympics, but was nevertheless optimistic about its future direction.
"I wish it would have been held in the country where it originated," Kyodo reported her said. "I still think breaking will become more popular, even without the Olympics."
While the Olympic spotlight brings new opportunities, Yuasa, Nakarai and other Japanese breakers already belong to a globe-spanning competitive circuit backed by corporate sponsors looking to attach their brands to a dynamic and youthful sports culture.
The 22-year-old Nakarai, aka B-boy Shigekix, carried Japan's flag at the Opening Ceremony in Paris and boasts endorsements from the likes of Mercedes, Visa, Nike and watchmaker Seiko on his Instagram account with over 170,000 followers at the time of writing, according to Kyodo.
Yuasa, who honed her craft at grassroots "jams" before gaining worldwide prominence, expressed particular confidence about breaking's place in Japan.
"I think in Japan (it's) really good. (The) culture side, sports side (are both) really good," Yuasa said. "Every weekend there's a jam...big jams and also small, cool jams. So the Japanese breaking scene is so good. I love it."
The newly crowned Olympic champion was nevertheless appreciative of the global attention brought by the Summer Games, even if only gets the opportunity to be center stage once.
"We could show what breaking is to the world," she said. – Bernama
