Chinese B-Girl Guo Pu sweeps youth and adult Asian breaking titles in Shanghai

China's Guo Pu capped a stunning two-day run at Asia's top-tier breakdancing competition, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) Asian Breaking Championship, in east China's Shanghai Municipality over the weekend.

The 16-year-old, known on stage as B-Girl Royal, claimed back-to-back victories in the youth and adult events to seize both crowns.

In the men's division, Japan's Shigeyuki Nakarai, nicknamed B-Boy Shigekix, lived up to expectations by securing top honors with consistent performances throughout the knockout rounds.

Mirroring the previous day's youth category, the senior division showcased an intense China-Japan rivalry, with all eight semifinalists in the men's and women's brackets hailing from the two countries.

In the women's semifinals, Guo defeated her compatriot and Paris Olympics bronze medalist Liu Qingyi (B-Girl 671) to book her spot in the final. She then outclassed Japan's Riko Tsuhako (B-Girl Riko) in the title contest, winning by a wide margin thanks to her clean execution, musicality, and commanding stage presence.

"I felt today's battles were even tougher than yesterday," said Guo. "But I truly danced for myself this time. I was relaxed, happy, and focused on expressing who I am. I hope I can represent my country more on the international stage in the future."

Guo's back-to-back titles over the weekend have solidified her as a breakout star of the post-Olympic era. On Saturday, she triumphed in the women's youth final over another Japanese opponent, Hiyo Yamada (B-Girl Hiyo), earning a unanimous decision from the judges after all three rounds.

In the women's adult bronze medal contest, Liu defeated Japan's Ayane Nakarai (B-Girl Ayane).

The men's competition saw China produce three semifinalists – Qi Xiangyu (B-Boy Lithe-ing), Wang Ruimiao (B-Boy MonkeyZ),, and Shang Xiaoyu (B-Boy X-rain). But it was the experienced Nakarai, the gold medalist from the Hangzhou Asian Games, who proved a class above. He defeated Wang 3-0 in the semifinals and followed up by beating Qi 3-0 in the final.

"The score may seem one-sided, but both matches were really tough," he said. "Chinese B-Boys have improved tremendously in recent years. Competing with them pushes me as well – we are not only opponents, but also collaborators who grow together through battle."

With Nakarai's sister, B-Girl Ayane, having reached the women's semifinals at this event, he noted that her influence was what motivated him to take up breakdancing at a young age, before rising through the ranks to become one of the best in the world.

After narrowly missing out on gold, Qi admitted feeling disappointed.

"I came here aiming for the title, so I felt the pressure every round," he said. "In the final, I could feel the gap in speed, power, precision, and clarity of execution. These are the areas I need to focus on moving forward."