Japan’s B-boys and B-girls showed off their world-class talent at the Summer Games premiere of breaking dance in Paris, but the country should not expect any more Olympic medals in this dance sport for the time being.

Women’s gold medalist Ami Yuasa and men’s semi-finalist Shigeyuki Nakarai were among the stars of the first and perhaps last Olympic breakdancing competition, as the discipline has been omitted from the 2028 Los Angeles Games and appears unlikely for Brisbane 2032 as well.

Japan’s Ami Yuasa will compete in the women’s breakdance final at the Paris Olympic Games at La Concorde in Paris on August 9, 2024. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Japan’s Ami Yuasa poses after winning the gold medal in the women’s vault at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games at La Concorde in Paris on Aug. 9, 2024. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Organizers wanted to add more sports to the already packed Olympic program and made their decision before the dancers took the stage at La Concorde in the heart of the French capital.

Sports making their debut in Los Angeles include squash and flag football, while baseball and softball return after being absent from the Paris program.

Yuasa, 25, also known as B-Girl Ami, expressed disappointment that a dance form developed by black American youth in New York’s Bronx borough will not be represented at the next Olympic Games in the USA, but was nevertheless optimistic about its future development.

Olympic gold medalist in the women’s swimming event at the Paris Olympics, Ami Yuasa of Japan, is pictured at a press conference in Paris on Aug. 10, 2024. (Kyodo)

“I wish it had been held in the country where it originated,” she said. “I still believe breakdancing will become more popular, even without the Olympics.”

While the Olympic spotlight brings new opportunities, Yuasa, Nakarai and other Japanese breakers are already part of a global competition circuit supported by corporate sponsors looking to associate their brands with a dynamic and youthful sporting culture.

Japan’s Shigeyuki “Shigekix” Nakarai takes part in the men’s bronze medal match at the Paris Olympic Games at La Concorde in Paris on August 10, 2024. (Kyodo)

Nakarai, 22, also known as B-Boy Shigekix, carried the Japanese flag at the opening ceremony in Paris and boasts support from companies such as Mercedes, Visa, Nike and watchmaker Seiko on his Instagram account, which has over 170,000 followers at the time of writing.

Japan’s Shigeyuki “Shigekix” Nakarai (wearing a cap) and Victor of the United States hug after the men’s decisive bronze medal match at the Paris Olympic Games at La Concorde in Paris on Aug. 10, 2024. (Kyodo)

Yuasa, who honed her skills at grassroots jams before gaining worldwide fame, was particularly confident about the importance of breakdancing in Japan.

Japan’s Ami Yuasa competes in a women’s breaking round robin match at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games at La Concorde in Paris on August 9, 2024. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

“I think in Japan it’s really good. Both the cultural and the sports side are really good,” Yuasa said. “Every weekend there’s a jam session… big jam sessions and also small, cool jam sessions. So the Japanese breakdance scene is so good. I love it.”

The newly crowned Olympic champion was nevertheless grateful for the worldwide attention that the Summer Games bring, even if he only gets one chance to be the center of attention.

“We could show the world what breaking is,” she said.

Related coverage:

Olympics: Japan’s hopeful Shigekix misses podium in men’s breaking

Olympic Games: Japanese B-Girl Ami is the first to win the gold medal