Olympics-Breaking-Shigekix expects to battle familiar foes for gold in Paris

By Chang-Ran Kim

TOKYO (Reuters) - Top Japanese breakdancer Shigekix said on Monday his eyes will be fixed on his familiar foes from the United States and Canada when 16 B-Boys battle it out for the maiden Olympic title in breaking's debut at the Paris Games next month.

Shigeyuki Nakarai, who goes by the name Shigekix, singled out Victor Montalvo, or B-Boy Victor, and Canada's Phil Wizard as the two to watch at the competition on Aug. 10 that will decide the sport's first Olympic champion.

"We've competed countless times, over and over again, trading places on the podium," the 22-year-old said at a press event in Tokyo.

"These two are truly top-level and I've battled with them repeatedly and had them leave me with bitter results while at times I did the same to them. They're the ones that have left the deepest impression on me."

At the World Breaking Championships in September, Shigekix finished in third place behind Victor and Phil Wizard, whose real name is Philip Kim.

Reflecting on a busy 2023 preparing for the road to Paris, Shigekix said the competitions were valuable experiences decorated with medals for each of the six.

"I felt like I was improving my skills little by little and gaining experience, so even though it was a rough schedule, I felt very positive," he said.

"Over the past year, I challenged myself over and over to see how far I can grow. It was a surprisingly enjoyable year for me."

In more good news for him, Shigekix was named Team Japan's flagbearer on Monday along with fencing's Misaki Emura - a decision he interpreted as another recognition of breaking's arrival as a major sport.

Breaking is the only new sport to be added at the Paris Games after its success at the 2018 Youth Summer Olympics in Buenos Aires, where Shigekix won the bronze medal, aged 16. The women's breaking competition will be held on Aug. 9.

(Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Alison Williams)