Olympic breakdancing is a thing now, debuting at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France, on Friday. But it didn’t take long for controversy to pop up.
Ami Yuasa of Japan would win the first-ever breakdancing gold medal at the Olympics, while Manizha Talash found herself disqualified.
Talash, who fled from Afghanistan, was competing for the Refugee Olympic Team when she was kicked out for taking her shirt off to display a cape featuring the words “Free Afghan Women” on the back.
Free Afghan Women ✊ #Paris2024 #breaking pic.twitter.com/hjbQHFhpCk
— Thibaut Buccellato (@Thibuch) August 9, 2024
The Associated Press reports that the World DanceSport Federation removed her from the games for “displaying a political slogan on her attire during the Pre-Qualifier battle.”
Talash would have been eliminated from the competition in any case, having lost to Holland’s India Sardjoe in the first round. But she ended up getting booted from the tournament as the Olympics prohibit political, religious, and racial messaging.
“The mission of the Olympic Games to bring the entire world together can facilitate the understanding of different views, but this can be accomplished only if everybody respects this diversity,” the International Olympic Committee’s charter reads.
“It is a fundamental principle that sport is neutral and must be separate from political, religious or any other type of interference.”
Manizha Talash Previously Explained Why She Fled Afghanistan
Manizha Talash joined the refugee team because she fled Afghanistan, though she claims her decision wasn’t influenced by the living conditions.
“I didn’t leave Afghanistan because I’m afraid of the Taliban or because I can’t live in Afghanistan,” she said, per CNN.
“I left because I want to do what I can for the girls in Afghanistan, for my life, my future, for everyone.”
Sometimes breaking the rules is necessary.
🗣️ Manizha Talash #paris2024 pic.twitter.com/IDEab3dmXl
— Sanny Rudravajhala (@Sanny_Rudra) August 9, 2024
The 21-year-old views competing in the Olympics as a show of strength and is perhaps pleased enough to have gotten her message across despite the consequences.
