One and Done? Breaking at the 2024 Games
After a popular debut at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, breaking — also called breakdancing — will be on the Olympic program for the first time in Paris.
Nestled into two slots lasting about five hours each on the closing days of the Games, 32 breakers will compete. The 16 “B girls” compete August 8, with the 16 “B boys” the day after. La Concorde is the venue, which makes breaking one of four so-called urban sports staged in the city center. The other three that will share this famous plaza on the banks of the River Seine are 3X3 basketball, BMX freestyle and skateboarding.
While breaking will get as much attention for its novelty as for its athletic and gymnastic skills, its Olympic future is in doubt. Other new urban sports, such as sport climbing, surfing and skateboarding, have been adopted for the permanent sports program, but breaking becomes an Olympic orphan after Paris.
LA 28 did not include breaking on its sports program announced earlier this year. Instead, for the optional sports the IOC permits each host city, Los Angeles chose cricket, flag football, lacrosse, squash and baseball/softball. That will bring the total number of sports for Los Angeles to an Olympic record of 35. Paris will host 32 sports.
Boxing, which no longer has an international federation recognized by the IOC, is the only permanent sport dropped from LA. There is the slight possibility for boxing to return in 2028 if a new federation can be formed and recognized by early 2025. Without boxing, the core number of summer Olympic sports drops to 30.
But back to breaking. With LA 28 out of the picture, Brisbane 2032 is the next chance for breaking to return to the Olympic program. The Queensland capital is still a couple of years away from any decisions about which sports it might want to add. Cricket’s debut in Los Angeles would seem to warrant an encore in Australia, which is one of the sport’s most important nations. Baseball and softball already have a good following in Australia; likewise squash and karate also are well known. Lacrosse and American flag football are not.
Breaking would seem to have a chance at reappearing in Brisbane. Two Australians will be part of the competition in Paris next month, which will help to draw attention from 2032 organizers. At 16, Jeff “J-Attack” Dunne is one of the youngest athletes from Australia to compete in any Olympics. Rachael “Raygun” Gunn, 37, is a university researcher. A medal winning performance from either will certainly improve the chances for breaking in 2032.
Forecasting a sports program for 2036 and beyond is a fool’s errand at this point. With as many a dozen locales around the world expressing some interest to the IOC for Games a decade or more away, there is no certainty what changes or events could shape the sports program.
The core IOC program of 30 sports is likely to remain unchanged in the coming years. Two federations facing doubts modern pentathlon and weightlifting appear to have cured their deficiencies and have been given the okay for Los Angeles. Weightlifting faced serious problems with the Federation administration and the prevalence of positive drug tests in the sport. Modern pentathlon has replaced the equestrian leg of the event with an obstacle course run by foot. Modern pen has faced scrutiny over the relevance of an event designed for soldiers in the early years of the 20th century. Earlier in this century a pistol shooting event was replaced with a laser target competition. The IOC is likely to keep an eye on the sport to monitor the changes and whether there is growth to the sport.
With several one and done sports as well as repeaters like baseball/softball, future host cities will now have a menu of sports certified by the IOC as games ready to select as extras to the core sports program. Put breaking on that list post Paris. That could be the fate of boxing if an international federation agreeable to the IOC is ever formed.
Banging on the door for recognition is kickboxing as well as other mixed martial arts. Teqball could emerge as a new sport one day. And then there is one of the world’s fastest growing sports, the phenomenon of pickle ball. Those who scoff at Olympic recognition for this trendy pastime should consider the odds they might have given for something called breakdancing ever reaching the medals podium of the Olympics.
Written by Ed Hula