Breaking made its highly anticipated Olympic debut, with headspinning, DJs and a whole new vocabulary taking center stage in Paris.

From top rock to freeze and down rock to drops, the Games’ newest sport thrilled fans in the noisy open-air arena with its mix of acrobatic moves, spins and complex footwork before Japan’s Ami was crowned the first Olympic champion.

Nicka from Lithuania took silver and China’s 671 took bronze.

One of the French capital’s most famous parks – the Place de la Concorde – was transformed into an urban sports ground for these games and from here, with the Eiffel Tower and the Grand Palais in the skyline, the boys stormed the biggest stage to a booming beat.

Two lively Masters of Ceremonies (MCs) provided regular explanations to a crowd that may have been watching for the first time as 16 B-Girls competed in one-on-one matches in a round-robin and knockout phase.

It was part show, part sport, part dance – but all fun.

After all, there are not many Olympic disciplines where the judges make their own appearance before taking to the courts.

The moves were not scored according to a predetermined point system, but were simply voted on using a digital slider.

There weren’t even set routines – the B-girls, as the dancers are called, have no idea what music the DJs will play, so their 60-second turns (throw downs) are improvised.

But the movements were spectacular and regularly elicited loud “ooohs” from the audience as they spun in circles, balanced on their heads or one hand, swung through flairs or froze on the spot in their contortions.

And the gestures were powerful: they wagged their fingers and showed improvised posturing while their rival performed, but they also clapped and hugged each other.

It was clear that both fans and athletes enjoyed this moment, especially since there is no guarantee that something like this will ever happen again at the Olympics.

While it is not on the agenda for the Los Angeles Games in four years, Brisbane 2032 organisers will have followed this energetic debut with interest as they planned their Games.

“I’m super happy to be here,” said India, the 2022 world champions who lost to 671 in the bronze medal match.

“This means a lot to me. It’s the first time breakdancing has taken place on such a high platform – it’s the biggest performance in the world.”

Rapper Snoop Dogg opened the event, while International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach sat in the stands to witness the latest sport he created.

It was added to the Games programme as part of the IOC’s efforts to attract new and younger audiences, joining skateboarding, sport climbing and BMX freestyle among the urban sports on the programme.

On Saturday, it’s the B-Boys’ turn to compete for gold in a sport whose roots go back to the 1970s in the Bronx, New York, as part of hip-hop culture.