Amir Zakirov

Zakirov was born on 10 October 1997 in Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan.{{Cite web|url=https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/-amir_1931298|website=Olympics.com|title=Amir}} He grew up in a small Kazakh city and enjoyed dancing, but there were limited opportunities for him to do so.{{Cite web|url=https://olympics.com/en/news/bboy-amir-breaking-interview-feature|website=Olympics.com|title=After breaking changed his life, B-Boy Amir is determined to set an example for a new generation: "I'm always ready."|date=4 May 2023|author=Merrell, Chloe; Encabo, Lorena}} He self-trained in parkour before discovering a breakdancing class in 2009. Olympics.com noted:

{{blockquote|One day while walking home from school he saw a poster advertising a breaking school. Sensing this was his chance he ripped the poster off the wall and brought it home to his parents. "I stole this poster so that other people wouldn't see it," Amir recalls remembering how much the discovery meant to him.}}

Zakirov was signed up for classes, using limited money he had from selling copper.{{Cite web|url=https://www.redbull.com/us-en/red-bull-bc-one-2021-champion-amir-interview|publisher=Red Bull|title=Get the story of Red Bull BC One 2021 B-Boy champion Amir|author=Adelekun, Emmanuel|date=10 November 2021}} When it became insufficient, he resorted to using the money his parents gave him for school lunch to take classes; he noted "I used the money my parents gave me for lunch in school to pay for the breaking. Because of this I had stomach pains from not eating all day, making it really hard to concentrate in school, but I wanted to use this money for breaking."{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonpu/2024/07/31/breakdancing-competitors-to-watch-at-the-2024-paris-olympics/|website=Forbes|title=2024 Paris Olympics Breakdancing: Breakers To Watch|date=1 August 2024|author=Pu, Jason}} Eventually, the teacher allowed him to attend for free.{{Cite web|url=https://30-under-30.forbes.ru/2022/463695-amir-zakirov|website=Forbes Russia|language=Russian|date=2022|title=Амир Закиров, 24 {{!}} Номинация - Рейтинг Forbes|trans-title=Amir Zakirov, 24 {{!}} Nomination - Forbes Rating}}

At age 16, Zakirov graduated from school and moved to Omsk in Russia, then to Moscow aged 20. In Russia, he joined the club Predatorz and PDVL crew. In 2020, he won the Legits Blast tournament in Prague. He opened 2021 by winning the Unbreakable championship and the Kazakhstan Cypher tournament. Later that year, he won the Red Bull BC One championship.{{Cite news|url=https://www.the-village-kz.com/village/city/news-city/36391-amir-zakirov-stal-pervym-kazahstantsem-kotoryy-vystupit-na-olimpiyskih-igrah-v-breykinge|newspaper=The Village|language=Russian|title=Амир Закиров стал первым казахстанцем, который выступит на Олимпийских играх в брейкинге|trans-title=Amir Zakirov became the first Kazakhstani to compete in breaking at the Olympic Games|date=25 June 2024}} He competed at the world championships in 2022 and received selection that year to the Forbes Kazakhstan 30 Under 30 list. He won the Breaking for Gold tournament in Japan in 2023.{{Cite web|url=https://forbes.kz/articles/kazahstanets_amir_zakirov_stal_pobeditelem_turnira_po_breykdansu_v_yaponii|website=Forbes Kazakhstan|language=Russian|title=Казахстанец Амир Закиров стал победителем турнира по брейкдансу в Японии|date=25 February 2023|trans-title=Kazakhstani Amir Zakirov became the winner of the breakdancing tournament in Japan|author=Andreeva, Daria}} Zakirov competed at the 2024 Olympic Qualifier Series and qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics, which featured breakdancing for the first time.{{Cite web|url=https://olympic.kz/ru/article/30816-amir-zakirov-zavoeval-istoricheskuyu-olimpiyskuyu-kvotu-v-breykinge|publisher=National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan|language=Russian|title=Амир Закиров завоевал историческую олимпийскую квоту в брейкинге |trans-title=Amir Zakirov won a historic Olympic quota in breaking |date=24 June 2024}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.worlddancesport.org/Athletes/Amir-Zakirov-abe937cd-3ff5-4743-a6ab-add5010c813f WDSF profile]
• [https://www.instagram.com/amir_pdvl_predatorz/ Zakirov's Instagram profile]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zakirov, Amir}}

Category:1997 births

Category:Living people

Category:Kazakhstani male dancers

Category:Sportspeople from Petropavl

Category:Olympic breakdancers for Kazakhstan

Category:Breakdancers at the 2024 Summer Olympics

Category:Dancers at the 2022 Asian Games

Category:Kazakhstani breakdancers