Breakdancing is among four sports that have got the green light to be part of the Paris Olympic Games in 2024. The International Committee ratified the inclusion of breakdancing along with surfing, skateboarding and sports climbing on Monday, IOC President Thomas Bach said.
The move from the IOC comes at a time when the Olympics is looking to refresh the sports programme in a bid to remain relevant to sponsors, broadcasters and younger fans. The move comes after the IOC’s new rule which allows host cities to pick and propose new games that are popular in the region.
“With this programme, we are making the Olympic Games Paris 2024 fit for the post-corona world. We are further reducing the cost and complexity of hosting the Games. There is also a strong focus on youth,” said IOC president Bach.
What is breakdancing?
Breaking was not originally conceived as a sport, but as a form of artistic expression that takes its name from the “breaks” that hip-hop DJs would loop from popular disco and funk tracks, featuring isolated drum parts ideal for dancing. After a wave of mainstream popularity in the 1980s, it has evolved to include competitions of highly acrobatic feats of athleticism, which these Olympic events are likely to resemble.
Key elements in breaking include top rocks — typically a competitor’s introductory dance moves — footwork, power moves and freezes. Power moves are explosive displays such as spins, while freezes are when a performer sticks a pose.
In a blend of artistry and athleticism, competitors — known as “b-boys” and “b-girls” — are evaluated not only on technical skill but also creativity and style, with strength, speed, rhythm and agility providing an edge. Also, there will be equal representation of men and women athletes in Paris Games. It’s 48.8% for women at the Tokyo Games, which has been postponed to 2021 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
