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Phil Wizard showcases breaking to the world at Paris 2024 – and wins gold – Team Canada

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Phil Wizard poses with his gold medal

Leah Hennel/COC

No person might beat the Wiz in Paris.

Workforce Canada’s Phil Wizard (Philip Kim) received each battle he confronted on Saturday at Paris 2024, successful the inaugural gold medal in Olympic breaking. Wizard, one of many high breakers on this planet, defeated France’s Dany Dann within the closing.

Whereas Wizard appeared calm, composed and stress free on the surface, like several athlete making their Olympic debut, he didn’t precisely really feel that means.

“I’m glad it didn’t appear to be it. I used to be wired of my thoughts,” Wizard stated after the occasion. “It’s been a whirlwind of feelings. I stated this in a earlier interview yesterday, I cried my eyes out as a result of I used to be so scared to do that. There’s been numerous stress, numerous expectations. I’m glad I used to be capable of ship, however greater than something, I’m glad I simply loved the second.”

READ: Phil Wizard dances to the highest of the rostrum in breaking’s Olympic debut

Phil Wizard points a finger in the air
Workforce Canada’s Phil Wizard competes in B-Boy breaking on the 2024 Paris Olympic Video games in France on Saturday, August 10, 2024. Photograph by Leah Hennel/COC

Wizard confirmed why he’s probably the greatest of the world, dropping only one spherical within the six battles he took half in. Wizard stated he was extra targeted on having fun with the second than successful, a state-of-mind that led him to capturing a gold medal for Workforce Canada.

“I actually had numerous enjoyable at present. To share the stage with the man opponents, they’re among the greatest on this planet, a few of my closest associates, and other people I’ve competed with – and alongside and towards – for a lot of, a few years now. And that is historical past within the making for us. So it’s unimaginable.”

Whereas breaking could also be new to the mainstream sports activities world, it’s hardly new to Wizard. The 27-year-old began breaking in 2009 on the streets of Vancouver with the Now or By no means and Soul Felons crews. His stage title, “Phil Wizard,” got here from continually being launched as “Phil from the Wizards crew.”

Lately, Wizard has turn into an influence on the world breaking stage. After successful silver on the 2021 WDSF Breaking World Championships, he received his first gold in 2022. He received silver on the world championships final 12 months and in addition received gold with Workforce Canada on the Santiago 2023 Pan Am Video games.

It was on the Pan Am Video games the place Wizard secured a spot for Paris 2024.

Breaking is a judged occasion with every athlete being scored on approach, vocabulary, originality, execution and musicality, in addition to the general impression. In contrast to different creative occasions akin to gymnastics or determine skating, breakers don’t know what music they’re going to should carry out to, forcing every to improvise as soon as on stage.

The whole B-Boy occasion was held on Saturday and started with a spherical robin section of 16 opponents. Every breaker was positioned in a bunch of 4 with every dealing with off inside their group in two-round battles.

Oddly sufficient, Wizard’s first matchup within the spherical robin was towards Dany Dann, which noticed the Canadian win each rounds by a mixed vote depend of 13-5. Wizard then confronted Kuzya of Ukraine with every successful a spherical apiece however votes have been 10-8 in favour of the Canadian. In his closing preliminary matchup, Wizard simply beat Australia’s J Assault, taking each rounds with votes 17-1 in favour of Wizard.

The elimination spherical noticed every matchup have three rounds. Within the quarterfinals, Wizard defeated Lee of the Netherlands 3-0 (19-8) after which, in certainly one of his hardest battles, downed top-seeded Shigekix of Japan 3-0 (17-10) to advance to the ultimate.

Within the gold medal battle, spherical one was tight, with Wizard edging Danny Dann 5-4 in votes. However the Canadian grabbed management within the closing two rounds and took benefit of an error by the Frenchman within the third spherical. Wizard received the ultimate 3-0 with votes 23-4.

Phil Wizard competes in breaking
Workforce Canada’s Phil Wizard competes in B-Boy breaking on the 2024 Paris Olympic Video games in France on Saturday, August 10, 2024. Photograph by Leah Hennel/COC

Wizard’s deep repertoire of tips was evident within the closing. The Canadian showcased numerous maneuvers he hadn’t utilized earlier within the competitors.

“Dany Dann’s an unimaginable competitor and we’re in his hometown France,” Wizard advised CBC after the competitors. “My objective at present actually wasn’t to win, it was simply to get pleasure from myself on the stage and I felt like I actually completed that. And that’s what I’m happy with.”

The long-term way forward for breaking as an Olympic sport is unknown at this level. It’s not deliberate to be a part of Los Angeles 2028. Wizard might find yourself being not solely the primary Olympic gold medallist in breaking, but in addition the one.

Wizard isn’t targeted on that. He hopes the showcase he – and the opposite Paris 2024 breakers – supplied encourage extra individuals to become involved within the sport.

“I hope it opens doorways for individuals. I imply, I’ve devoted my life to this and so have all of us competing at present and I feel it’s an underneath appreciated sport. I hope that at present was an ideal instance of displaying the world how unimaginable breaking is. That was actually my solely objective right here. I’m so grateful and I’m so completely happy to come back out with the win. However greater than something, I simply wish to present the world what breaking is. And I feel we did a implausible job at present of doing that.”

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