There will be a new sport added to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, held in Paris. On Monday, the International Olympic Committee announced that break dancing would be one of the events at the 2024 Olympics. It will officially be called breaking, which is part of the IOC’s pursuit to add more urban events.
“It’s going to be great for breaking as it gives us more recognition as a sport,” British breakdancer Karam Singh said to BBC as reported by Entertainment Tonight. “And for the Olympics, it will attract young people who may not follow some of the traditional sports.” Shawn Tay, the World DanceSport Federation president, believes the decision is a big step for all dancers.
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“Today is a historic occasion not only for b-boys and b-girls but for all dancers around the world,” Tay said in a press release. “The WDSF could not be prouder to have Breaking included at Paris 2024, and we thank everyone who helped make it possible: the Executive Board of the IOC, the Paris 2024 organizers, the WDSF staff and, most importantly, the Breaking community itself. It was a true team effort to get to this moment, and we will redouble our efforts in the lead-up to the Olympic Games to make sure the Breaking competition at Paris 2024 will be unforgettable.”
When breakdancing debuts at the Olympics in 2024, it will feature 16 boys and 16 girls in one-on-one battles. Along with breakdancing, the IOC also approved skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing. The committee also made some subtractions as weightlifting will have just 120 athletes for the Paris games, half of its total from the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro. ESPN reports that weightlifting could be dropped due to its doping problems and concerns over the pace and depth of reform at the International Weightlifting Federation.
“There are many passionate people on the ground around the world doing a tremendous job every day to nurture and preserve the culture of Breaking,” Mounir Biba, the breaking ambassador, said. “The sporting journey that we are on will only strengthen the position that I have always defended, namely that we are athletes! I commend the willingness of the Paris 2024 organizers, the work of the WDSF and the choice of the IOC to include our sport in the Paris Olympic Games. See you in 2024 for a great show.”
