One of the most interesting pieces of news in the world of Olympic sports in December 2020 has been the entry of breakdancing for the Paris Games in 2024. Breakdancing, which will be known as 'Breaking' in Paris' quadrennial event is the newest entry into the Olympics after surfing, climbing and skateboarding were made part of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The Paris Games organisers recommended Breaking to be included because they wanted to deliver a programme that is in keeping with the times and will attract a new and younger audience.
The introduction of breakdancing was "one of the results of the Olympic Agenda 2020", Bach said. "We had a clear priority to introduce sports (that are) particularly popular among the younger generation and taking into consideration the urbanisation of sport."
Breaking was tried out at the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 and the success from the event was one of the factors that pushed the decision for 2024. In 2018, the competition was in the form of head to head battles.
There were plenty of rather interesting reactions following the announcement.
World Dance Sport Federation president has hailed the decision. “Today is a historic occasion not only for b-boys and b-girls but for all dancers around the world,” said Shawn Tay.
“The WDSF could not be prouder to have breaking included at Paris 2024... 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.”
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