Four Chinese dancers reach breakdancing quarterfinals at World Games

CHENGDU, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- China underlined its growing strength in breakdancing at The World Games 2025 on Saturday, as four of its six representatives advanced from the group stage into the quarterfinals.

The women's competition produced an unusual scenario, with all three Chinese B-Girls drawn into the same group. Rising star Guo Pu (B-Girl Royal) swept the round-robin battle with three straight victories, followed by Olympic bronze medalist Liu Qingyi (B-Girl 671) on two wins.

South Korea's Kwon Seong-hui (B-Girl Starry) placed third, while Zeng Yingying (B-Girl Yingzi), who was battling a heavy cold, failed to find her rhythm and conceded three defeats to rank at the bottom.

"It was exciting and also a bit nervous for us to be in the same group, but at least it guaranteed a Chinese spot," said Royal, who emphasized that respect and focus mattered more than results.

The 16-year-old has quickly risen to prominence as one of China's hottest breaking prospects, claiming the Asian Championships title earlier this year.

671 admitted she needed time to find her rhythm: "At the beginning I couldn't quickly get into the music, but having more Chinese in the last eight is already a breakthrough."

In the men's draw, Qi Xiangyu (B-Boy Lithe-ing) dominated Group B with three convincing wins to top the standings, while China's team captain Shang Xiaoyu (B-Boy X-rain) secured second place in Group A with a 2-1 record. Wang Ruimiao (B-Boy MonkeyZ) finished third in Group C and missed out on qualification.

"My first opponent was a Ukrainian whom I had never beaten before, so the pressure was high," said Lithe-ing. "But I managed to show what I trained for. After Paris (Olympics) I feel less pressure, but I treasure every chance to perform on stage."

The Chengdu World Games has drawn a world-class field, with many having competed at last year's Paris Olympics.

Japan's B-Boys once again showed their depth and consistency, with all three, Shigeyuki Nakarai (B-Boy Shigekix), Isshin Hishikawa (B-Boy Issin) and Hiroto Ono (B-Boy Hiro10) topping their groups to reach the quarterfinals.

On the women's side, three of the four Paris Olympic semifinalists lined up in Chengdu. Besides China's 671, Lithuania's Dominika Banevic (B-Girl Nicka), the Olympic silver medalist, and the Netherlands' India Dewi Sardjoe (B-Girl India) both advanced to the last eight. ■