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PARIS – A breaker on the Refugee Olympic Team was disqualified from the B-Girl Breakfast competition at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games on Friday for displaying a cape emblazoned with the words “Free Afghan Women” during her round.
Manizha Talash, known competitively as “B-Girl Talash,” unveiled the cape during the third round of her pre-qualification bout against B-Girl India of the Netherlands. The 21-year-old lost the fight in clear fashion and failed to make it to the round robin, effectively nullifying her disqualification.
According to a brief statement from the World DanceSport Federation, which runs the Olympic breaking news program, posted on the Olympic Information System, Talash was disqualified for “displaying a political slogan on her clothing.”
The cape was a violation of Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, which prohibits political protests or messages on the field of play at the Olympic Games. The IOC, which created the refugee Olympic team, said in a statement that Talash received only a warning from the head of its disciplinary committee.
Talash was ushered past the print reporters in the mixed zone without having his questions answered.
“I think what she has done on stage is enough,” said a man who accompanied her.
Talash was born in Kabul, Afghanistan and moved to Spain in 2022, where she now lives.
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