In 2024 when breakdancers pack their funky clothes for the Paris Olympics they should remember to carry some humility. This city isn't easy to impress. When croquet made its Games debut in 1900, Parisians turned up their haughty collars. Only a single entry ticket was sold. To an Englishman.
Croquet disappeared and so did motor-boating and the javelin thrown with both hands. Weird stuff happens at this four-yearly five-ring circus, so don't sneer at breakdancing. At this grand Games, Darwin's law of the fittest applies to everyone: Both athletes and sports are fighting for a place.
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