Breaking Dance at Paris Olympics

Breaking competitions have gained global recognition since the 1990s, with b-boys and b-girls showcasing their skills to the rhythm of a DJ. The 2024 Paris Olympics will feature these dancers, who will perform freestyle routines without prior knowledge of the music, adding an element of spontaneity to their performances. Each category will include 16 competitors, who will dance solo, starting with toprock, the upright phase of their routines. The competition format consists of head-to-head battles, beginning with a round-robin stage. Each battle features a best-of-three series known as throwdowns, where dancers have approximately one minute to impress judges with their routines. The judging criteria will assess a range of factors, including the variety of moves, technical execution, and the dancer's ability to connect with the music and maintain rhythm. Among the competitors, Florida's Victor Montalvo, known as "B-boy Victor," and Houston's Jeffrey Louis, or "B-boy Jeffro," have qualified for the men's category. Montalvo, 30, recently secured a gold medal at the 2023 world championships, making him the highest-ranked American male breaker. In the women's category, a notable achievement was made by a U.S. b-girl who won the first gold medal in breaking at the Pan American Games, securing her spot in the Olympics. Breaking will commence on August 9, starting with the b-girl round-robin competition and culminating in the gold-medal battle later that day, marking a significant milestone for the sport on the Olympic stage.