Japan, Netherlands win golds, Chinese B-Boy achieves first-ever medal at Worlds

CHENGDU -- The 2024 WDSF World Breaking Championships concluded on Saturday, with Japan's Isshin Hishikawa (B-Boy Issin) and the Netherlands' India Dewi Sardjoe (B-Girl India) winning gold medals. China's Wang Ruimiao (B-Boy Monkey Z) made history by earning the country's first-ever World Championships medal in the men's competition.

In the women's final, B-Girl India, who had placed fourth at the Paris Olympics, won gold with a 2-1 victory over Olympic bronze medalist Liu Qingyi (B-Girl 671) of China. Olympic silver medalist Dominika Banevic (B-Girl Nicka) from Lithuania took the bronze.

B-Girl 671, who had taken silver at the 2022 World Championships, expressed no regrets despite missing out on gold again. "I tried some new expressions that I'm not used to. Although I may not have performed perfectly at first, it was a challenge and an opportunity for growth," she said.

On the men's side, B-Boy Issin triumphed with a 2-1 win over compatriot Shigeyuki Nakarai (B-Boy Shigekix). B-Boy Monkey Z fought hard to secure bronze, marking China's first medal in the competition, beating country's previous best achieved by Qi Xiangyu (B-Boy Lithe-ing), who had placed fourth at the 2023 World Breaking Championships.

"I never expected to take the bronze," B-Boy Monkey Z said afterwards. "My initial goal was to make it to the top eight. It wasn't until I held the bronze medal that I could hardly believe it, but the pressure I had built up during the preparation finally released."

This Championships, the first since breakdancing's Olympic debut in Paris this summer, drew over 180 athletes from 31 countries and regions, with men's and women's champions and runners-up earning direct entry to the 2025 World Games.