2019 World Breaking

B-girl Ami (JPN) and B-boy Menno (NED) outlasted a strong international pool of 150 breakers to win the 2019 WDSF World Breaking Championship today in Nanjing, China, earning them the title of World Champions. 

Dynamic styles and energetic flows punctuated the b-girl 1vs1 final at the Lishui Sports Park Gymnasium, where Ami sweep Sunny (USA) in four straight rounds. 

Menno had a much tougher go of it against Issei (JPN) in the b-boy 1vs1 final. The two went toe to toe in a hard-fought battle that split the rounds 2-2. Menno was crowned champion thanks to a 17-11 overall vote count. 

“I’m so happy because the odds were so big but I still won,” said Ami. “This was so different from normal Breaking jams. I feel like this was real competition so I tried to do many moves and I also tried to dance on a big stage.” 

Menno, who said he was feeling agitated after struggling with jet lag in the preselection round, said: “I feel really happy because I trained really hard for it. It’s actually a really big relief because it takes a lot of sacrifice, all the time you put into this … Winning it is an amazing feeling for sure.” 

Finishing third were B-girl Jilou (GER) and B-boy Lussy Sky (UKR), who defeated Ying Zi (CHN) and Lil G (VEN), respectively, in third-place playoffs. 

Gold, silver and bronze medals were presented to the winning breakers by World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) President Shawn Tay.

The World Championship featured some of the world’s best Breakers from 66 countries in total, including eight Olympians who participated in the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Buenos Aires last year. A list of all b-boys and b-girls who competed in Nanjing can be found here.

YOG gold medallist B-boy Bumblebee (RUS) finished fifth in Nanjing, while bronze medallist Shigekix (JPN) came in seventh.

The World Championship was streamed live on The Olympic Channel. All the battles from the Round Robin stage onward can be viewed on DanceSport Total.

The Championship doubled as a qualifying event for the first GAISF World Urban Games in Budapest, Hungary this September. A list of the 12 b-boys and 12 b-girls that qualified will be announced shortly.

B-girl Final

Ami (JPN) vs Sunny (USA) = Ami 4-0

B-boy Final

Menno (NED) vs Issei (JPN) = Menno 2-2

B-girl 3^rd place

Jilou (GER) vs Ying Zi (CHN) = Jilou 3-1

B-boy 3^rd place

Lussy Sky (UKR) vs Lil G (VEN) = Lussy Sky 3-1

B-girl Semis

B-girl Ami (JPN) vs Jilou (GER) = Ami

Ying Zi (CHN) vs Sunny (USA) = Sunny

B-boy Semis

Menno (NED) vs Lussy Sky (UKR) = Menno

Lil G (VEN) vs Issei (JPN) = Issei

The result for top 4 b-girls and top 8 b-boys are out!

B-girls Ami (Japan), Jilou (Germany), Ying Zi (China) and Sunny (United States) and b-boys Shigekix (Japan), Issei (Japan), Lil G (Venezuela), Lussy Sky (Ukraine), Bumblebee (Russia), El Nino (United States),Phil Wizard (Canada) and Menno (Netherlands) will show twelve different styles with high level techniques! But whose day is it going to be today? Who will be able to bring some presence and soul on the stage and execute their moves clean? Watch the semifinals and finals on Olympic Channel or DanceSportTotal YouTube channel to find out who will the World Champions 2019!

The line ups for the top 16 b-girls and the top 32 b-boys in the WDSF World Breaking Champion are looking strong! Live stream is now on on Olympic Channel starting with round Robin. Only four dancers from both categories will go through for the next round to battle for the World Champion title, so now it’s not the time to hold back!

The top 16 qualified b-girls are:
Ramona (Finland)
DR.C (China)
Ami (Japan)
Paulina (Poland)
Madmax (Belgium)
Fenqi (China)
Vavi (Russia)
Sunny (United States)
Ayane (Japan)
Ying Zi (China)
Logistix (United States)
Fresh Bella (Korea, Republic of (South Korea))
Jilou (Germany)
Roxy (Great Britain)
Queen Mary (Bulgaria)
Lluvia (Colombia) 

The top 32 qualified b-boys are:
Astro (China)
Dr. Hill (Mexico)
Shigekix (Japan)
Marius (Romania)
HR (China)
Jamal (Russia)
Issei (Japan)
Pocket (Korea, Republic of (South Korea))
Hotan (China)
Klash (Egypt)
Lil G (Venezuela)
Lego Sam (Malaysia)
Lazy (China)
Cri6 (Morocco)
Lussy Sky (Ukraine)
Vero (Korea, Republic of (South Korea))
X-Rain (China)
Tirock (Belgium)
Bumblebee (Russia)
Luan (Brazil)
Oy (China)
Hatsolo (Finland)
Lagaet (France)
El Nino (United States)
Simy (Belgium)
Daniel (Norway)
Phil Wizard (Canada)
Xak (Spain)
Bullet From Space (Russia)
Poter (Israel)
Menno (Netherlands)
Bruce Almighty (Portugal)

Olympic Day has been celebrated around the world on June 23rd to commemorate the birth of the modern Olympic Games on the same day back in 1894.

Over the last 20 years Olympic Day has been associated with Olympic Day Runs all over the world. Olympic Day is nowadays much more than just a run or a sports event. It has developed into the only annual worldwide celebration of the Olympic Movement and is a day to promote a healthy and active lifestyle.  

Based on the three pillars of "Move", "Learn", and "Discover", National Olympic Committees are organising sports, cultural and educational activities for all, regardless of age, gender, social background or sporting ability. 

In the lead-up to and on 23 June, the IOC and the Olympic Movement at large also activate their global communication channels, both digital and social media, to promote Olympic Day activities and the importance of leading an active lifestyle. 

Through the hashtag #OlympicDay, members of the public, Olympians, fans, volunteers, celebrities, coaches, international and national federations, National Olympic Committees and many other organisations all join the movement, sharing online how they are being physically active for Olympic Day or contributing to celebrations or events organised by National Federations and Olympic Committees. 

The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) will celebrate Olympic Day in style this year with the 2019 WDSF World Breaking Championship in Nanjing, China.

Text: International Olympic Committee

Over 150 b-boys and b-girls from 66 countries have arrived in Nanjing (CHN) and are ready to show their skills on the dance floor at the WDSF World Breaking Championship. B-boy Astro and b-girl Babyball, the winners of the Chinese qualification from today will join them tomorrow on the battlefield to compete for the World Champion title. Watch the live stream on June 23rd on Olympic Channel or find all the battles on DanceSportTotal YouTube Channel! 

America’s own Sunny will be making her very first trip to China this 23 June to compete against upwards of 60 other b-girls at the 2019 WDSF World Breaking Championship in Nanjing. 

The Tennessee-born, New York City resident doesn’t seem too worried about the trip, however, having competed against a number of the other dancers elsewhere during her 11-year career as a b-girl. 

“I’m looking forward to seeing old friends and sharing the dance floor with new people,” she says about the Championship. 

That attitude should hold her in good stead with some of the world’s leading b-girls set to compete this weekend. But with consistently strong showings at Red Bull BC One World Finals, the Silverback Open, and Outbreak Europe events, b-girl Sunny is definitely one to keep an eye on this week in Nanjing! 

Q: What are you most looking forward to about the 2019 WDSF World Breaking Championship?
A: I’m looking forward to seeing old friends and sharing the dance floor with new people. 

Q: Have you ever been to China/Nanjing? 
A: No, I have not ever been to China!

Q: Do you have any new techniques ready for Nanjing?
A: Not really. I’ve had a few injuries and I’ve been working a lot so I’m just training as usual and hoping for the best.

Q: Is there anybody competing in Nanjing that you would really like to battle and, if so, why?
A: I don’t know some of the women battling so it’s hard to say! I’m sure there will be new faces and new talent. I’m excited to see what’s in store for us.

Q: What is your greatest strength/best move as a b-girl?
A: I’m not sure that any one of us have just one best move or strength. I think I’m fairly well-rounded in that I dance and have power but I’m not the only one at this competition that can say that. At higher levels, many of the women are well-rounded, some better at some things and others at others. 

Q: What advice do you have for young breakers just starting out?
A: Have fun and be you when you dance. Yes, there’s foundation to this dance so keep that in mind but explore and find your own way of dancing and expressing yourself. Don’t look to others for inspiration but take the time to discover who you are as a dancer. And when you have the opportunity, travel and learn about other cultures. It’ll help you in dance and in life!

Q: Who inspired you as a young breaker?
A: A lot of the dancers around me in Philadelphia were my inspirations. I was never one to watch footage online but just learn from the people I saw at practice and at battles.

Q: Do you have a favorite song/ artist to break to?
A: I generally like to dance to rap but don’t have a favorite artist or song to dance to. That changes based on my mood from day to day.

Q: What one word best describes your style?
A: Happy. I smile when I dance and I like to have fun. I think you can sense it when you watch. 

Q: What is your favorite place to compete?
A: I don’t think I have a favorite place to compete, but I generally prefer smaller, more intimate events with good music and lots of dancing/cyphering.  

Q: Who’s been your toughest competitor and why?
A: This is probably the most cliché answer I can give but the toughest competitor out there is myself. I’m always battling time, expectations, physical conditions, my shyness, my mood, or whatever else is on my mind from day to day. I’m usually really tough on myself so I’m working on letting go of that control, trusting myself, and just being happy with what happens. I’m getting better at it but still struggling, especially on big stages at larger events. We’ll see how this one goes!

Venezuela’s Lil G is one of roughly 100 b-boys set to compete at the 2019 WDSF World Breaking Championship on 23 June in Nanjing, China. 

A versatile and highly experienced Breaker, Lil G has been doing his thing since the age of 11 and has garnered a strong following worldwide for never resting on his laurels. 

Lil G has competed in numerous Red Bull BC One World Finals, the Silverback Open, and Outbreak Europe, among many others. While he has visited China a number of times, his appearance at the World Championship will be his first time in Nanjing.

We look forward to seeing Lil G bring his unique style and originality to the floor!

Q: What are you most looking forward to about the World Championship?
A: I’m looking to do my best in this battle but the most important thing for me is to enjoy the moment.

Q: Do you have any new techniques ready for Nanjing?
A: I have some new moves but I’m still not 100% sure I will try them at the World Championship. 

Q: Is there anybody competing in Nanjing that you would really like to battle and, if so, why?
A: I really want to battle the people who are on fire, because then I can push myself more.

Q: What is your greatest strength/best move as a b-boy?
A: I don’t have any exact move, I have strong musicality on my power moves.

Q: What advice do you have for young breakers just starting out?
A: My advice for the new generation – or for everyone – is to do everything from the heart. If you want to be in the game of big battles, prepare your heart for when the losses come and take it as a gain, because it will be a growing experience and not a defeat.

Q: Who inspired you as a young b-boy?
A: The people who inspired me when I was young were my crew members Shadow and Knnon from Venezuela. Then it was Storm from Germany, Salah from France, The End from Korea, Boy from USA and now I am inspired by all the new generation coming up.

Q: What one word best describes your style?
A: Risk, of course.

Q: What is your favourite place to compete?
A: Asia.

Q: Who’s been your toughest competitor and why?
A: The toughest competitor has been myself, because every loss is difficult and to continue to keep it up until now has been hard. But I learn [something in every situation which is a victory in itself] and I always feel good no matter the result.