The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics have wrapped up, and as people look forward to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, questions remain about which sports will be competing.
Breaking—also known as breakdancing—made its debut at the Paris Olympics and left a significant impression. Much of the buzz was generated by Vancouver’s Philip Kim, a.k.a. Phil Wizard, who captured gold after dominating his final battle against host-country favorite Danis Civil (Dany Dann) of France.
However, Australian B-girl Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn, who delivered less-than-impressive moves, quickly went viral, particularly outside of the Olympic fanbase.
The 36-year-old college professor’s performance across three round-robin battles included a kangaroo hop, a backward roll, and various contortions with her body while lying or crawling on the floor.
After her performance on Friday, Raygun posted on Instagram: “Don’t be afraid to be different, go out there and represent yourself, you never know where that’s gonna take you.”
Yuasa, known as B-girl Ami, who won the gold medal in the women’s competition, expressed her disappointment that Los Angeles organizers didn’t wait to experience the energy between the athletes and the crowd at Place de la Concorde in Paris before making decisions.
“I feel so sad about it not happening in Los Angeles because breaking was born in the U.S.A.,” she told The Associated Press on Sunday. “Breaking is not just a sport; it’s also a form of self-expression and art.”
