Hip-hop vibe, breakers get single shot at Olympic glory in Paris
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American breaker Logan “Logistx” Edra performs a sequence of dance moves at Playground LA in Los Angeles, California, on June 11.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LOS ANGELES – The already high stakes of Olympic competition will be further elevated for breakers at the Paris Games, where the champions could be the only ones to ever win gold medals in the sport.
Breaking will make its Olympic debut in Paris but Los Angeles has already said it will not be part of its programme in 2028 and odds are it will not return when Brisbane hosts in 2032.
“It’s a bummer that we’re not approved for the next Olympics but I still believe in us,” American breaker Logan “Logistx” Edra said. “I know that in Paris we are going to bring so much light and good energy with our dance.”
Breaking will be the only new sport at the 2024 Games in the French capital, while a couple of others like canoe slalom and sport climbing will have new events or updated formats.
It joined the programme following its success at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, the first Olympic event where it was showcased.
Born at block parties in the Bronx borough of New York in the 1970s, breaking, known commonly to the uninitiated as breakdancing, blends urban dance with acrobatic moves set to the grooves of hip-hop music.
In Paris, 16 b-girls and 16 b-boys will engage in one-on-one battles beginning with a round-robin competition, quarter-finals, semi-finals and finally medal events under the watchful eye of the judges.
France, Japan and the United States are sending the largest number of athletes (four each) to the competition. Ukraine, together with the Netherlands and China, rank second with three participants each.
The women’s competition will be held on Aug 9 and the men’s on Aug 10 in the heart of the city at the Place de la Concorde.
After the combatants are introduced to the crowd by the emcee, the first dancer starts their throw down in the top rock position, dancing upright to the beat before transitioning to a go down, where the breaker moves to the floor.
From there, they use their hands for support as they move their legs through intricate footwork steps. Power moves, such as when a dancer spins continuously, freezes and a side variety of other tricks and flips follow.
While the breaker knows the playlist of songs that can be selected by the DJ during the battle, they do not know the exact song they will be dancing to until it comes out of the loudspeakers.
“That’s what I love about breaking, you’ve got to adapt in the moment,” said b-boy Victor Montalvo, who won gold at the 2023 World Breaking Championships to book his spot in the US team for the Olympics.
Breaking is part-sport, part-art form, and all self-expression, added the American, who is a favourite in Paris alongside Canadian Philip Kim, also known as “Phil Wizard”.
“You’ve got to be creative, have style, have individuality, have your own fingerprint,” he said.
Even if breaking is one-and-done at the Olympics, its athletes see a bright future for the sport while always honouring its roots, according to the 30-year-old.
“I’m so happy to represent my culture and show people the real essence of breaking,” Montalvo said.
“We’re bringing the hip-hop vibe to the Olympics because we have a lot to offer.”
In a separate interview on the Olympics website, he emphasised that he does not want to just introduce breaking to a new audience, he wants people to understand the culture as well.
“There are two sides to breaking – the battling and the culture,” he said.
“I want people to know about the culture, because if you don’t understand what breakers are doing, the competition side can get boring. I want people to see both sides.” REUTERS
