Read the full story on SportsLook - Isshin Hishikawa and Ayumi Fukushima Capture Titles at the All Japan Breaking Championships
Breakdancer Isshin Hishikawa bolstered his Paris Olympic prospects with a dazzling performance on Sunday, February 18 at the All Japan Breaking Championships.
After beating favorite Shigeyuki Nakarai in the semifinals, Hishikawa, who goes by the name Issin, took advantage of innovative spins and jumps to defeat Hiroto "Hiro10" Ono 3-0 in the final at NHK Hall and claim his first All Japan title.
Nakarai, known as Shigekix in the breakdancing community, is the only Japanese dancer to so far qualify for the Paris Games after taking the gold medal at the Asian Games in October 2023.
Issin is almost certain to join Shigekix as one of three Japanese men when breaking makes its debut at the Olympics this summer.
"I enjoyed it very much today," said the 18-year-old Issin after Sunday's final. "All the practice is paying off and I will do my best to qualify for the Olympics."
Olympic trials will run through June. At the end of the process, 16 athletes will compete over two days at Paris' iconic Place de la Concorde.
Chasing a Dream: Aiming for Olympic Glory
Issin, a native of Okayama Prefecture, started breaking at the age of 8. He quickly mastered the windmill move and is now widely regarded as one of Japan's top breakdancers.
In the women's competition, 40-year-old veteran Ayumi Fukushima used her impressive footwork and spins to defeat Ayane Nakarai, Shigekix's older sister who goes by the mononym Ayane, 2-1 and claim her third straight All Japan Championship title.
"I let it all out in the final," Ayumi said. "I'm very happy to have won the championship, but know I have a lot of work to do ahead of Olympic qualifiers."
Breaking to Make Olympic Debut in Paris
The IOC announced four years ago that breaking would become an official Olympic sport.
In trying to appeal to a younger audience, the Paris organizing committee has included breaking along with skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing to the program for the 2024 Summer Games.
Breakdancing originated in New York City in the late 1960s and early '70s. It incorporates moves from a variety of sources including martial arts and gymnastics.
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Author: Jim Armstrong
The author is a longtime journalist who has covered sports in Japan for over 25 years. You can find his articles on SportsLook.
