B-Girl Nicka, B-Boy Victor earn World Titles, book tickets to Paris 2024 26/09/2023

B-Girl Nicka and B-Boy Victor wrote their names into the history books this weekend, becoming the first Breakers from their respective countries – Lithuania and the United States – ever to qualify for an Olympic Games.

The 16-year-old Lithuanian and 29-year-old American booked their spots at next summer’s Olympic Games Paris 2024 by winning the WDSF World Breaking Championship 2023 in Leuven, Belgium on 24 September.

To do so, the pair had to survive a rock-solid pool of 178 Breakers from 62 countries, each of which brought some serious heat to the two-day event.

Nicka wowed the packed venue of 2,500 spectators with a gritty final performance that oozed talent, dedication, and flair. After losing the first round to evergreen B-Girl Ayumi of Japan, Nicka dug deep to win the next two rounds 6-3 and walk away as the youngest World B-Girl Champion in WDSF history.

“The final was so good because I had energy. The music and crowd gave me energy,” Nicka said. “Also, it’s the final, so you have to do your best because you can win an Olympic ticket, so I was doing my best and I just let go of all the thoughts that were in my head and I was thinking ‘I have nothing to lose’ and I won.”

She added: “Ayumi is of course more experienced than me, but when you walk on the stage, you forget about everything. You forget how old you are, how much experience you have, you just go and do your best.”

Rising French star B-Girl of Syssy also had a weekend to remember, topping B-Girl Kate of Ukraine in the battle for bronze.

In the high-stakes B-Boy showdown, it was the wily veteran Victor who stole the spotlight with his gravity-defying moves and intricate choreography. The American beat pre-tournament favourite and reigning World B-Boy Champion Phil Wizard of Canada in the final, reclaiming the title he first won in 2021.

“I’m still in shock, man. I can’t believe I won,” Victor said after the victory. “I just ended up getting the ticket to Paris 2024. I am so happy. I did it. I came here. And I’m excited!”

B-Boy Shigekix of Japan, meanwhile, took home bronze in emphatic style, defeating B-Boy Lithe-ing of the People’s Republic of China 2-1. Shigekix saved his best for last, putting in a powerhouse performance in Round 3 that saw all nine judges score in his favour.

It was an electrifying weekend in Leuven, Belgium, whose largest square, the Ladeuzeplein, came alive on both competition days much to the delight of the participating athletes. Leuven welcomed the Breakers with open arms and an inspiring atmosphere, setting the perfect tone for an unforgettable competition.

The event was made possible thanks to the generous support and dedication of the Belgian DanceSport Federation and the local organizing committee, Sportizon.