Refugee activist disqualified for wearing ‘Free Afghan Women’ cape at Olympic competition

PARIS — Refugee breaker Manizha Talash, aka “b-girl Talash,” was disqualified from the first-ever Olympic break event on Friday after wearing a cape that read “Free Afghan Women” during her qualifying match against India Sardjoe, better known as “b-girl India.”

The 21-year-old, originally from Afghanistan and representing the Olympic refugee team, lost the qualifying match against Sardjoe and would not have progressed even if she had not been disqualified.

Political statements and slogans are prohibited on the field of play and on stages at the Olympic Games. The World DanceSport Federation, the governing body for breaking at the Olympic Games, issued a statement afterward saying she “was disqualified for displaying a political slogan on her clothing during the Pre-Qualifier battle.”