Canadian B-boy Phil Wizard tops podium at Breaking for Gold World Series in France
CBC Sports | Posted: May 19, 2023 12:01 AM | Last Updated: May 22, 2023
Reigning world champion from Vancouver beats Japanese star Shigekix 3-0 in final
Canadian B-boy Phil Wizard moved closer to Olympic qualification with a gold-medal victory on Thursday at the WDSF Breaking for Gold World Series stop in Montpellier, France.
The reigning world champion from Vancouver delivered a dominant 3-0 performance against Japanese star Shigekix in the final battle to secure his first World Series win. Wizard took home silver at last month's event in Rio de Janeiro after finishing 10th in February at the first stop in Kitakyushu, Japan.
The breaking competition in Montpellier was part of the the International Festival of Extreme Sports (FISE), a week-long event packed with fans that also features BMX, skateboarding, parkour and more.
"It felt great to win my first event at the FISE in Montpellier. The atmosphere and energy was great and I really enjoyed it all. That's what's important to me and why I think the event ended in my favour, I was really savouring and enjoying the moment," Wizard told CBC Sports.
"This win means a lot to me too because I had some of my closest friends behind me supporting me, and that's a privilege to have during such an important event."
Wizard, whose real name is Phil Kim, earned 1,000 ranking points toward Olympic qualification. The top 14 B-boys and B-girls in the Breaking for Gold rankings will advance to the Olympic Qualifier Series, set to be held next year from March to June. The 26-year-old of Korean descent was ranked fourth ahead of the event in Montpellier.
Chinese B-girl 671 also topped the podium with a decisive 3-0 victory on Thursday, defeating reigning European champion Nicka.
Wizard will next compete at the Pan American Championships in Santiago, Chile from May 27-28. He will have a chance to secure an Olympic spot when he attempts to defend his title at worlds in Leuven, Belgium (Sept. 23-24).
Wizard beat Shigekix for the world championship last October.
The sport's highly anticipated Olympic debut in Paris will feature a men's and women's tournament, with 16 competitors in each. Breaking will take place at the iconic Place de la Concorde from Aug. 9-10, 2024.
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