Overview

Breaking is ready for its moment in the limelight. The sport debuts on the Olympic schedule at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Breaking, a style of dance that originated in the Bronx in the 1970s, has evolved into a competitive sport, with international competitions that first took place in the 1990s. Breaking appeared at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires and has been chosen for Paris 2024 as a new sport, joining sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing.

16 men and 16 women (called "B-Boys" and "B-Girls") will compete, with a round robin followed by quarterfinals, semifinals and medal battles. Each battle features a best-of-three one-on-one contest of approximately one minute. When one breaker finishes their round, their opponent instantly begins their routine in a battle format.

A panel of nine judges score the b-boys and b-girls on on six criteria: creativity, personality, technique, variety, performativity and musicality. Performativity and creativity hold the most weight (60%), and the other categories account for the other 40%. 

When to watch breaking during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games

During the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, B-Boys and B-Girls battle on the street on the Friday and Saturday, August 9 and 10.

The needle drops at 10 a.m. ET for preliminary battles, and the action resumes for the finals at 2 p.m. ET each day.

Venue

The home of urban sports at the 2024 Paris Olympics, La Concorde, will make room for an Olympic debut unlike any other. With a DJ supplying the soundtrack, athletes will face off in head-to-head dance battles. In order to impress the judges, athletes will need to adapt and improvise their moves as beats fill the air at the end of the Champs-Elysées.

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Events

• B-Girls (women’s)
• B-Boys (men’s)