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.
Events
- B-Girls (women’s)
- B-Boys (men’s)
| Date | Event | Time (ET) | August 9 | Women (B-Girl), Qualification Women (B-Girl), Final |
10a-12n 2p-4p |
| August 10 | Men (B-Boy), Qualification Men (B-Boy), Final |
10a-12n 2p-4p |
Team USA: Olympic breakers to watch
In the men's event, U.S. star Victor Montalvo is considered the gold-medal favorite. Montalvo became the first U.S. athlete to ever qualify for the Olympics in breaking when he won the 2023 WDSF breaking World Championship. Fellow American Jeffrey Louis (B-Boy Jeffro) qualified for the Games in June and is considered a possible gold medal-winner, too.
In the women’s competition, American Sunny Choi (B-Girl Sunny) became the first U.S. woman to qualify for the Olympic Games last year. Logan Edra (B-Girl Logistx) booked her spot at the Olympic Qualifier Series this spring and will join Choi, Louis and Montalvo in Paris.