B-Girl Manizha Talash made her debut at the first-ever Olympics breakdancing competition. The 21-year-old is part of the IOC Refugee Team, which represents more than 100 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, and has 37 athletes competing across 12 sports in the 2024 Paris games.
According to BBC, Talash is from Afghanistan but left her home in 2023 when the Taliban returned to power and changed life for women in the country. She was no longer able to dance (she had been part of a breakdancing team) or wear the clothes she wanted. "If I'd stayed in Afghanistan, I don't think I'd exist," she told the outlet. “They'd execute me or stone me to death.”
In an interview with Olympics.com, she explained why she wanted to compete. “They [back in her homeland] always tell you that you are a girl and can’t do something – but when I was with this team, they never told me that you can’t because you are a girl, I was always told ‘you can’," she said.
Though Talash ultimately didn't make it to the next round, being beaten by Netherlands b-Girl India Sardjoe, she certainly made her Olympic moment special. During the competition, Talash used her time on the floor to express support for the women of Afghanistan. She stepped out wearing a blue cape that read, “Free Afghan Women.”
