What Is Breaking? The 2024 Olympics Is Getting A New Sport
If you have been paying attention to the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, you know there are a lot of fun things in store. From Snoop Dogg acting as a correspondent to a slew of major athletes coming out for the gold, it’s a big year to tune in — especially to see the new event that’s garnered significant attention and anticipation, known as breaking.
Breaking, in short, is a formalized version of breakdancing. The Olympics’ website describes breaking as an “urban dance style” which gets its roots from hip-hop culture, utilizing a low center of gravity and a “combination of power moves.” The sport first debuted in the Olympics during the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires. According to NBC, the event topped 1 million viewers, and was declared as an “outstanding success” by the Olympics.
Now, breaking hits the Olympic stage this summer as part of the organization’s move to appeal to younger audiences and “reward creativity and athletic performance.” according to the Olympics’ website.
But typically, breakdancing is considered a very informal, vibes-forward activity — so, how exactly is this sport going to work in the Olympics’ formalized setting, and on a global stage? Here’s what to know.
Here’s How Olympic Breaking Will Work
There will be separate events for men and women, with 16 competitors, known as “B-Boys” and “B-Girls,” in each category. Dancers will face off in one-on-one competitions to win the judges’ votes and take home the medals.
According to Sports Illustrated, the competitions will start in a round-robin format before moving into elimination rounds and the eventual final medal match. Each battle will consist of three one-minute performances for each competitor, and the battle is over when one breaker wins two rounds.
The routines will not be choreographed — rather, as stated by the Olympics website, they will “adapt their style and improvise to the beat of the DJ’s tracks.” Thus, breaking is a battle of both skill and creativity, making for an especially captivating show.
Each performance will be rated by a panel of nine judges and scored in six categories: creativity, personality, technique, variety, performativity, and musicality. Performativity and creativity will make up 60% of each breaker’s score, and the four remaining categories will make up the other 40%.
Who Is On The U.S. Olympic Breaking Team?
The U.S. will be represented by four breakers this summer, with two B-Boys and two B-Girls. B-Boys Jeffro and Gravity, ranked fifth and eighth in the world respectively, will perform in the men’s category. B-Girls Logistx and La Vix, ranked fifth and 21st, will perform in the women’s category.
There’s Already Some Breaking Controversy
Surprisingly, the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles will not include breaking, a decision made even before seeing how the sport plays out this summer. Although the World DanceSport Federation was “profoundly disappointed” by this development, it must turn its eyes to the future of the sport: If breaking is popular enough this summer, the International Olympic Committee might just have to bring it back for the 2032 Olympics.
Until then, fans will just have to watch and see how it all plays out.
