Breakdancing set for Olympics debut in Paris 2024

The choice of the four sports still needs to be rubberstamped by the International Olympic Committee. Breakdancing, known as breaking, appeared at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, in the form of head-to-head "battles". Russia's Sergei Chernyshev, competing under the nickname Bumblebee, won the first breakdancing gold medal for boys in that event, while Japan's Ramu Kawai won the girls' title. The IOC had announced that the number of competitors at Paris 2024 would be restricted to 10,500, which limited the scope to add sports. But the organizers said the inclusion of the four sports in Paris would not necessitate the construction of permanent facilities and would involve just 248 competitors, of which 32 would be in breakdancing. The surfing events are likely to be held in established surf centers such as Biarritz or Lacanau in southwest France.

"It is an incredible honor and privilege that, for the first time, a dance discipline is being considered for inclusion in the Olympic Games. It is a humbling experience for all members and supporters of DanceSport," said Shawn Tay, the president of the World DanceSport Federation. He predicted that, if included, breaking would be "an outstanding success". The inclusion of breakdancing at Paris 2024 means that squash has missed out, to the deep disappointment of the sport's governing bodies. In a joint statement, the World Squash Federation (WSF) and the Professional Squash Association (PSA) said: "We truly believe squash could seamlessly integrate into the Olympic program with minimal costs and an optimised pool of participants. Paris organizers also announced that members of the public will be able to run the marathon course on the same day as the event, after the Olympic race.

Source: https://japantoday.com/category/sports/breakdancing-set-for-olympics-debut-in-paris-2024-organisers