B-Girl favourites advance, Lee looks for repeat win at Olympic Qualifier Series Budapest
Breaking athletes are leaving it all on the floor in their last chance to secure Olympic quotas.
Breaking
It has all come down to this.
40 B-Boys and 40 B-Girls battled it out at the Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) in Budapest.on Saturday (22 June) with only the top 16 of each gender making it through to the round-robin round.
All the big names are in when the final breaking quota spots for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 will be awarded on Sunday (23 June).
Can Japanese star B-Girl Ayumi repeat her triumph from OQS Shanghai? B-Boy Lee (Netherlands) is also looking for a repeat win, five weeks after his impressive performance in the Peopl's Republic of China.
Tune in for more aerial spins, power moves, headstands, and backflips on the Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the official Olympics app.
- Breaking at the Olympic Qualifier Series: Everything you need to know
- Qualification and points system unveiled for Olympic Qualifier Series
As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024. Click here to see the official qualification system for each sport.
Leading B-Girls move on
The leading B-Girls set the stage for an intense round-robin. Among them was B-Girl Ayumi, who celebrated her 41st birthday by advancing with a win against France's Sarah Bee.
Joining her in the round-robin is her teammate and 2022 World Champion Ami, whose exceptional skills continue to set the standard. Adding to Japan's powerhouse team is 17-year-old B-Girl Riko who carries the hopes of the next generation of Japanese breaking athletes.
Team USA's B-Girl Logistx also advanced, hoping to secure the last quota place available for USA B-Girls. Competing for that same spot is B-Girl La Vix.
Belgium's Camine showcased her talent by overcoming the 2018 Youth Olympic Games silver medallist B-Girl Emma. Camine aims to surpass her quarter-final finish at the 2022 World Games, where she was eliminated by Japan's World Champion Ami.
Lee looks for another win, Lithe-ing looks for revenge
B-Boy Lee stunned the breaking world by taking the OQS Shanghai competition, despite being ranked 12th coming into the event. The Dutch dancer brought that same energy to the Hungarian capital, as he bested the USA's El Nino with a vote count of 15 to three.
Lee will be facing a stiff challenge in B-Boy Lithe-ing, who came within one vote of defeating him in Shanghai at the first qualifier series.
B-Boy Hongten (Republic of Korea) executed a backflip with his shirt covering his face in the Shanghai semi-finals. Having finished fourth at the OQS in Shanghai and consistently placed in the top five, Hongten leads his country's ranking comfortably. With his teammate Wing out of the competition, his odds look promising as he enters Sunday.
Keep an eye on the Japanese men in the round-robins, as teammates Hiro10 and Issin battle for the final available berth for their country. Hiro10 currently leads the charge, but Issin trails close behind.