- Tunisia votes with Saied set for re-election
- Bagnaia sets 'example' with Japan MotoGP win to cut gap on Martin
- Intense Israeli bombing rocks Beirut ahead of war anniversary
- Mozambique vote: no suspense but some disillusion
- Austrian rapper channels anti-racist rage in Romani hip-hop songs
- Ohtani magic powers Dodgers over Padres in MLB playoff thriller
- Five of the best: Pakistan-England Test thrillers
- Man sets arm on fire as marches across US mark Gaza war anniversary
- Vietnam's young coffee entrepreneurs brew up a revolution
- Trump rallies at site of failed assassination: 'Never quit'
- Too hot by day, Dubai's floodlit beaches are packed at night
- Is music finally reckoning with #MeToo?
- Fans hail Trump's 'guts' as he returns to site of rally shooting
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Miami on track for MLS record points after win in Toronto
- Monaco take top spot in Ligue 1 with win at Rennes
- Madrid beat Villarreal to level Liga leaders Barca
- Thuram treble fires Inter past Torino and up to second
- 'Fight': defiant Trump jets in to site of rally shooting
- Mexico City's new mayor sworn in with pledges on water, housing
- Israel on alert ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Guardians maul Tigers in MLB playoff series opener
- Macron criticises Israel on Gaza, Lebanon operations
- French rugby player whistled but 'serene' on return amid ongoing rape case
- Retegui hat-trick fires five-star Atalanta to hammering of Genoa
- Heavyweights Australia, England off to World Cup winning starts
- Visiting UN refugee agency chief decries 'terrible crisis' in Lebanon
- Spinners come to party as England defeat Bangladesh at T20 World Cup
- Search continues for missing in deadly Bosnia floods
- Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- France's Auradou whistled on Pau return in Perpignan loss amid ongoing rape case
- A 'forgotten' valley in storm-hit North Carolina, desperate for help
- Arsenal hit back in style after Southampton scare
- Hezbollah heir apparent Safieddine out of contact after strikes
- Liverpool stay top of Premier League as Arsenal, Man City win
- In dank Tour of Emilia, Pogacar shines in rainbow jersey
- DR Congo launches mpox vaccination drive, hoping to curb outbreak
- Trump returns to site of failed assassination
- Careless Leverkusen held to Bundesliga draw
- O'Brien's 'superstar' Kyprios posts landmark win on Arc weekend
- Liverpool suffer Alisson injury blow
- Habosi helps Racing beat Vannes before Auradou's playing return
- Thousands march in London in support of Palestinians, 1 year after Oct 7
- Israel readying response to Iran missile attack
- Schutt, Mooney help Australia beat Sri Lanka in Women's T20 World Cup
- Liverpool extend Premier League lead with win at Palace
- Djokovic 'shakes rust off' to make third round of Shanghai Masters
- 'Imperfect' PSG fighting on all fronts - Luis Enrique
- Struggling Pakistan look to thwart adaptable England
- Child 'trampled to death' in asylum seekers' Channel crossing: minister
Courtnae Paul, the S.African chasing Olympic breakdancing glory
Moonwalking into the centre of a colourful gladiator-like stage, South African breakdancer Courtnae Paul warms up a Johannesburg crowd with jazzy bobs and a contagious smile.
She is competing in one of the last few events left before the sports' much-awaited Olympic debut.
In the blink of an eye, she's upside-down propped up by one tattooed arm, her brown-blonde ponytail swaying behind her.
Breaking, short for breakdancing, was added to the Paris 2024 Olympic roster after enjoying wide success at the Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in 2018.
"It's a mixture of martial arts, gymnastics -- all the cool stuff," Paul said of the sport.
Her pierced face beaming with a dimpled grin, the dancer bagged her second career trophy at the prestigious Johannesburg tournament last month.
Born in the coastal city of Durban, the 32-year-old is one of seven African break dancers -- known as B-girls and B-boys -- vying to make it to Paris.
Along with a fellow South African B-girl, she is hoping to catch a break in upcoming qualifiers in Shanghai and Budapest.
Paul said she got into breakdancing almost by chance, having previously practised gymnastics, kickboxing, Muay Thai and other sports.
After moving to Johannesburg dreaming of a professional dancing career, she started working as a choreographer as well as backup dancer, DJ and media entrepreneur.
The decades-old street dance style always appealed to her but she practised mostly as a hobby, "doing nonsense until it formed into something" thinking nothing much would come out of it.
"There was nowhere for me to take it -- no platforms existed," she said.
Then in 2020, the coronavirus pandemic hit with its lockdowns, giving Paul ample time to dedicate to her passion.
It was God's way of saying: "Let's get you back to the thing we want you to do," she said.
"I'd like to have been, you know, six years younger, but I'll take what I can get."
- 'Explosive, powerful lady' -
She developed a unique style, which she describes as a mixture of her self-starter "roughness", "education" and "South African flavour".
Her trainer, Jaco Claasen, described her during a session as an "explosive" and "powerful lady" who literally throws herself into her moves.
In preparation for the Olympics, he said much of the work will go to fine-tuning her stability and muscle connection to handle the force.
Forty other female dancers from across the world are taking part in qualifiers this month and the next.
Only 16 will go to Paris.
There they will battle it out for gold through four one-on-one clashes or throwdowns, lasting up to 60 seconds. A DJ will choose the beat.
Their performance will be ranked based on criterias including technique, musicality and originality.
Paul said she was astounded when she learnt Paris was on the cards.
"Breaking has been added as an official Olympic sport," she recalled a friend telling her. "I couldn't believe it."
But chasing her dream has not been easy as the nascent sport is yet to attract enough big sponsorships.
"Nine out of 10 times, everything is coming out of my pocket," said Paul, adding she can compete in only a handful of events a year, lacking the money to travel more.
"In a perfect world, I'd be a professional athlete and get paid to train, eat and sleep, unfortunately in South Africa, that's not my reality."
Olympic visibility is hopefully going to change that, making life easier for future athletes, she said.
"The circuits that have been built around Olympic qualifiers are game-changing," Paul said.
"I've worked as hard as I can, and I'm as ready as I can be. A self-assured person is a dangerous one!"
H.Portela--PC