Competitive Breakdancing To Debut As Sport At 2024 Paris Olympics

A history-making change is coming to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The international sporting event will debut a breakdance competition called “breaking,” reportedly in hopes of appealing to a younger audience of viewers.

Reportedly, the decision to add a breaking category was made after a similar event at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires was well received. In case you’re unfamiliar, the street style of dancing arose in the United States in the 1970s and its popularity has grown worldwide. According to one report, breaking was added as an Olympic category by the International Olympic Committee in hopes of attracting a younger, more “urban” audience.

A synopsis of the rules read:

“The competition in Paris will be 16 women and 16 men , who will battle face to face in a competition where a DJ will play any music and they will need to improvise with that type of music.”

@teamusa

Breaking ? The Olympics #teamusa #parisolympics #olympics #breaking

? original sound – Team USA

It continues:

“The criteria that will be judged at the Olympics will be technique, variety, personality, performance, musicality and creativity.”

Laura García, a break dancer from southern Spain, shared her thoughts on the historic moment, stating:

“The importance of breaking arriving at the Olympics Games is that it is an step towards making this dancing professional, for people who want to be professional and live out of this. And for the new generations, to have a much easier path to start dancing and that they are not seen as freaks.”

Laura Garcia

Athletes will reportedly use a combination of power moves, freezes, footwork, and top rock to improvise to the beat of the DJ’s set list to score the most points. It’s noted that the category will not be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The Paris games will run from July 26 – Aug. 11.

Are you excited to see breaking at the Olympics? Tell us in the comments below!

[VIA]