Breaking Takes Center Stage at Paris 2024: The Olympic Debut of a Hip-Hop Legacy

Breaking, also known as breakdancing, is making its Olympic debut at the Paris 2024 Summer Games. This sport, rooted in hip-hop culture from the Bronx in the 1970s, features a combination of athletic and artistic moves, including spins, flips, and complex body movements. The competitions are taking place at La Concorde in Paris, with separate events for men (b-boys) on August 10 and women (b-girls) on August 9.

The events are structured as head-to-head battles where breakers perform to music chosen by DJs. Judges evaluate the performances based on criteria like musicality, originality, technique, and execution. Interestingly, unlike other judged sports, there isn't a traditional scoring system. Instead, judges use a digital slider to select the winner of each battle.

Breaking was introduced to attract a younger audience and reflect the urbanization of sports, similar to skateboarding and surfing, which debuted at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. However, breaking is not scheduled to return in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, although its future in the Games beyond 2024 is still being discussed​ (The Mirror)​ (AS USA)​ (Washington Examiner).