Paris 2024 Olympics: French dancer Dany Dann becomes Olympic breakdance vice-champion after defeat in final

Dany Dann en argent. MAXPPP – TERESA SUAREZ

Catalan dancer Dany Dann brought France its 60th medal after winning silver in the breaking final of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, against Canadian Phil Wizard.

Frenchman Bboy Dany, real name Danis Civil, became Olympic vice-champion of breaking on Saturday after losing in the final to Canadian Phil Wizard, who became the first Olympic champion of the discipline.

A final without appeal

At the end of a high-level battle and in a fiery atmosphere at La Concorde, the dancer from Perpignan lost three sets to zero against Phil Wizard, vice-world champion of breaking, who had already beaten him in qualifying.

The first Olympic qualifier in the history of the discipline, thanks to his victory at the European Championships in the summer of 2023, the French dancer had pulled himself out on the wire of the qualifiers on Saturday before dancing in a much more liberated manner until the silver.

This father born in Guyana had made the Games his last major sporting goal, putting his career as a nursing assistant on hold since the announcement of the presence of breakdancing in Paris.

Bboy Lagaet eliminated in the qualifiers

During the phases finals, he beat two Americans in a row, Bboy Jeffro and Bboy Victor, thanks to his spectacular and aerial style, before losing in the final battle of the day, to the applause of a captivated audience.

The other Frenchman taking part in the competition, Martinique's Gaetan Alin, known as Bboy Lagaet, was eliminated in the qualifications.

On Friday, during the competition between Bgirls, Japanese Ami became the first Olympic champion in the history of this dance art from hip-hop culture… and probably the last one.

An additional sport in Paris, breaking was not retained by the organizing committee for the Games in Los Angeles in 2028.