China celebrated a historic success at the World Breaking Championships in Chengdu on Saturday, achieving its best-ever performance with two medals. Paris Olympics bronze medalist Liu Qingyi clinched silver in the women’s event, while Wang Ruimiao earned bronze, marking the country’s first-ever podium finish on the men’s side.
This year’s World Championships, the first since breaking made its Olympic debut at Paris 2024, attracted over 180 athletes from 31 nations and regions. The men’s and women’s winners and runners-up earned direct entry into the 2025 World Games.
Liu, also known as B-Girl 671, advanced to the women’s final by defeating Lithuania’s Dominika Banevich 2-1, avenging her previous defeat in the Olympic semifinals. In the final, Liu introduced several new elements against India Dewi Sardjoe of the Netherlands. However, the enhancements were not enough to secure gold, and Sardjoe, who placed fourth at the Paris Games, emerged victorious with a 2-1 win.
“My main goal in this competition is to dance happily, while also exploring areas and methods that are not my strength,” said Liu. “Dance is an art form, and I don’t want to always win by performing in just one way, as I want to express myself through various styles.”
On the men’s side, two Chinese athletes reached the last 16. Qi Xiangyu, who placed fourth at last season’s World Championships, narrowly missed a spot in the quarterfinals. His compatriot Wang Ruimiao, nicknamed B-Boy Monkey Z, made his debut in the event and secured bronze after defeating Ukraine’s Oleg Kuznietsov 3-0. The 19-year-old’s achievement marks China’s first-ever medal in the men’s division at the World Breaking Championships. The gold went to Japan’s Isshin Hishikawa.
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China celebrates historic success at World Breaking Championships
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