The Moroccan trailblazer chasing Olympic breaking gold

The day Morocco's Fatima Zahra El Mamouny qualified for the Olympics' newest sport will live long in her mind.

Not only did she become the first woman in the world to book a spot in the breaking competition at Paris 2024 in May last year, but she did so as her father lay in hospital having surgery.

"I was really sad because I got the call on the same day of the African championship," B-Girl Elmamouny, as she is known during competition, told BBC Sport Africa.

"I was like 'can I dance while my dad is in hospital?'.

"Then he called me and said 'if you want me to be in good health and want me to be happy, just do it and win it for me'. And I did it for him."

Her victory at the continental championships in Rabat showed how far El Mamouny had come in changing perceptions - including those of her father - about women from North Africa competing in breaking.

"It was the greatest moment of my life," the 25-year-old said.

"He was watching me live [on a screen] at the hospital. It was so emotional.

"I got my medal and went to see him and told him 'this is for you'. He was super happy.

"He said 'my heart was about to stop when I saw you in this competition!'. I cannot describe the happiness he felt. It was in his eyes."

The pioneer who 'won the war'

It was Selma Bennani, now president of the country's federation of Aerobic, Fitness Hip Hop and Related Sports (FRMSAF), who introduced Breaking to Morocco

B-Girl Elmamouny clinching the 2023 African title crowned a hugely successful event for Morocco, as her compatriot Bilal Mallakh - known as B-Boy Billy - booked his place in the men's event at Paris 2024.

The pair became the first qualifiers for the sport's inaugural appearance at the Olympics.

Watching on with pride was Selma Bennani, president of Morocco's Federation for Aerobic, Fitness, Hip Hop and Related Sports, which encompasses breaking.

Having studied aerobic sport in the United States, she brought her knowledge back to Morocco 28 years ago, and could only dream that one day one of her passions might become an Olympic sport.

"I'm not just proud, I'm excited, overwhelmed with happiness, because hip hop and breaking have been my fight since the founding of this federation," Bennani told BBC Sport Africa.

"We are in Morocco. The culture of hip hop comes from the USA, from the Bronx, and it was born in the streets.

"The youngsters of the Bronx wanted to express themselves via a dance. So they created the battles - talking to each other through physical dance, and expressing their feelings, but also expressing hope in life.

"And that's why the slogan of breaking is peace and love. That's something I love."

So how could Morocco, a Muslim country steeped in very different traditions and cultural values, be at the forefront of promoting breaking?

"Moroccan society did not accept it 28 years ago," Bennani explained.

"I was young and I'm a woman. Hip hop culture, graffiti, rap - it's a man's culture. So it was very difficult.

"I had lots of rejection, I couldn't have any partners or sponsorship. The Ministry of Sport didn't care about it.

"So I'm not just proud. This is a war that I won."

Bennani has further used her position to encourage women across the region to get involved in the sport - not just with participation but also as a means of education and possibly employment.

For her, being in Paris, will be emotional.

"I will definitely be crying seeing the Moroccan flag and seeing my two athletes and their trainers there," she said.

"It's a win for all African countries. We are going as the Moroccan kingdom but also as part of the whole continent."

Breaking is 'dance and art'

B-Girl Elmamouny first got introduced to breaking by her friends as a teenager growing up in Morocco

B-Girl Elmamouny is keen to stress that breaking "is not a bad thing" and "has no shame" to it, especially when people ask her if it should be at the Olympics.

"I'm always trying to show that this is a sport, and a dance and an art," she added.

"It can take you from somewhere bad to somewhere really good.

"And to those people who say it's not a sport, I'd tell them to come to our workshops and do the moves that we show you and we'll see if you can do it. They're super hard!"

In terms of the Olympic competition itself, it will be staged at the Place de la Concorde, where dancers will compete in one-on-one battles to music picked by a DJ.

Nine judges will vote at the end of each battle to decide the winner.

Fitness is key going into the Olympic competition, with El Mamouny training between three and four hours per day.

Her coach Enaama Elmarhraoui is a dancer, called B-Boy Kaw.

"We have to do things differently so we can reach a high level," he told BBC Sport Africa.

"There's a focus on physical conditioning, on execution, the flow, the form, the shape of the moves - a lot of things that would make a B-Girl or a B-Boy reach Olympic level."

B-Girl Elmamouny secured her place at the Paris Olympics by winning gold at the African championships in Rabat last year

B-Girl Elmamouny says her street dance name gives her confidence and empowers her.

"I'm a shy person but in dancing I'm another person. I can be really angry or happy," she explained.

"The girl Fatima is super shy - but as B-Girl, you can really show your emotion."

As she prepares to take the dancefloor on 9 August in the French capital, she says "it's an honour" to represent Morocco at the Games.

"You feel like all Moroccans are behind you, saying 'go go go!'," she said.

"We hope to be on the podium but my vision now is to be the best version of me."

El Mamouny also hopes to inspire more women to take up the sport.

"It's going to have a good impact on Moroccans because if girls are scared to do breaking now because of how the community is looking at them, this will be a support."

For now, she intends to "eat the floor" in training, as she bids for a piece of Olympic history at Paris 2024.