Refugee breaker disqualified for wearing 'Free Afghan Women' cape at Paris Olympics

PARIS — A breaker representing the Refugee Olympic Team was disqualified from the B-Girl breaking competition Friday at the 2024 Paris Olympics for revealing a cape during her round that read "Free Afghan Women."

Manizha Talash, known competitively as "B-Girl Talash," revealed the cape during the third round of her pre-qualifying battle against B-Girl India of the Netherlands. The 21-year-old lost the battle in lopsided fashion and did not advance to the round-robin stage, effectively rendering her disqualification a moot point.

According to a brief statement released in the Olympic information system by the World DanceSport Federation, which oversees Olympic breaking, Talash was disqualified for "displaying a political slogan on her attire."

The cape was a violation of Rule 50 of the Olympic charter, which prohibits political protests or messaging on the field of play at the Olympic Games. The IOC, which created the Refugee Olympic Team, did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment. And Talash was whisked past print reporters in the mixed zone without taking questions.

"What she did on stage I think is enough," a man accompanying her said.

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Talash was born in Kabul, Afghanistan and moved to Spain, where she now lives, in 2022.

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @Tom_Schad.