Canada’s b-boy Phil Wizard wins inaugural Olympic breaking gold
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Phil Wizard, whose real name is Philip Kim, triumphed amid the opulent grandeur of the Place de la Concorde.
PHOTO: NYTIMES
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PARIS – Canada’s b-boy Philip Kim, also known as “Phil Wizard”, won the inaugural Olympic men’s breaking gold in Paris on Aug 10, beating Danis Civil of France in the final.
Kim triumphed amid the opulent grandeur of the Place de la Concorde, with Victor Montalvo of the United States taking bronze.
Breaking, better known as breakdancing, is making its first and possibly last appearance at the Olympics,
Kim said breaking was “an underappreciated sport” and hoped its Olympic debut would change people’s minds.
“I hope that today was a perfect example of showing the world how incredible breaking is – that was truly my only goal here,” he said.
“I’m so grateful and so happy to come out with the win, but more than anything I just wanted to show the world what breaking is.”
The competition saw 16 dancers, known as b-boys, going head-to-head in a series of battles, starting with a pool stage before moving to the knockout rounds.
The b-boys showcased their phenomenal athleticism and creativity, wowing the crowd at one of Paris’ most elegant public spaces.
Kim, a 27-year-old former world champion, had the crowd against him in the final against Civil, a 36-year-old with blue hair who is also known as “Dany Dann”.
But the Canadian soon had them eating out of his hand thanks to his incredible routine, for which the judges awarded him a 3-0 victory.
Despite the spectacular moves on show, Kim said the panel of judges were looking for “something new every round”.
“You may well think it’s the most explosive, crazy dynamic movements that score the most points,” he said. “But in breaking there’s a lot of different categories and the most important thing is originality and diversity of movement.”
(From left) Silver medallist Danny Dann, gold medallist Phil Wizard and bronze medallist Victor.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Civil added: “I am delighted. I won a silver medal for France, and for breaking, and for history.”
The b-boys perform on a circular stage, accompanied by DJs pumping out hip-hop classics and master of ceremonies hyping up the crowd.
Breaking originated in the block parties held in the Bronx in New York in the 1970s.
Montalvo, also known just as “Victor”, said the competition represented “the true essence of hip-hop and breaking culture”.
“We just want to make sure that we show everyone that it’s a dance, first of all,” said Montalvo, who beat Japan’s Shigeyuki Nakarai for the bronze medal.
“It’s all about self-expression, it’s all about originality. It’s not just about big moves.”
Ami Yuasa of Japan won the women’s gold by beating Lithuania’s Dominika Banevic on Aug 9. AFP, REUTERS
