Canadian Phil Kim, nicknamed Phil Wizard, was crowned champion of the first-ever Olympic breaking competition on Saturday at the Paris Games. In the grand final of the B-Boys event, he took the gold medal against Frenchman Dany Dann.
Against Dann, there was practically no suspense. The Frenchman seemed out of breath after this day of competition. Wizard, for his part, put on a show, chaining together the technical and creative gestures specific to his indescribable style. The judges gave him all three rounds.
This triumph was a reflection of his performance on Saturday. Wizard dominated the preliminary round. The Dutchman Lee was simply not at the same level in the quarter-finals.
His biggest challenge before dancing for the gold medal came in the semifinals. The 27-year-old British Columbian, seeded second, was paired with the spectacular Shigekix. The Japanese, seeded first, delivered a solid, creative and athletic performance, but the judges preferred the Canadian’s. Once again, all three rounds went his way.
PHOTO ANGELIKA WARMUTH, REUTERS
Phil Wizard dominated the breaking competition
Shigekix was Japan’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the Paris Games. He also lost in the bronze medal match to American Victor, who thus completed the podium.
For now, Phil Wizard will not have the opportunity to defend his Olympic title in 2028, since breaking is not part of the competitions scheduled for the Los Angeles Games.
Re-read “Breaking | Phil Wizard: Living Your Dream in Front of the World”