Breakers look to capture — and keep — the world's attention at Olympics

Breaking took centre stage at the famed Place de la Concorde in Paris on Friday, showcasing the best female breakers — known as B-Girls — in the world.

On Saturday, it will be Canadian Philip Kim's turn to show his moves in the sport that blends athleticism, art and culture.

The 27-year-old, who competes as B-Boy Phil Wizard, is the only Canadian who made the cut in the sport's Olympic debut. He'll compete against 15 other B-Boys for the opportunity to be the first male Olympic breaking champion.

"We're making history as we go," Vancouver-based Kim told CBC News Network's Heather Hiscox.

"We're literally creating it. We're paving the road as we go. To be a part of that is not something I ever envisioned in my life, not something I ever thought I would be doing."

It's a big platform, with a chance to get more attention on the eye-catching sport.

But the top breakers will need to find a way to sustain the momentum when the sport disappears from the Olympic programme in Los Angeles in 2028.

"That's our challenge," said Geoff Reyes, president of the non-profit Breaking Canada. "We had to get here in the first place, so if we've done it once, we can do it again."

The day before breaking made its Olympic debut, Reyes and other Breaking Canada staff got to see the venue for the first time. Place de la Concorde has also played host to Olympic skateboarding, 3x3 basketball and BMX freestyle at the Games.

It was a surreal moment for Reyes, as it sunk in that breaking would really be part of the Olympics.

And then, on Friday, the female breakers took the stage for the first time, dazzling the Paris crowd with their footwork in a series of battles. Japanese breaker Ami Yuasa (B-Girl Ami) won gold, becoming the first female Olympic