Breakdancing holds firm to its roots but readies for Paris Olympic stage
- Paris 2024 will mark the culmination of breaking’s journey from a recreation room party in the Bronx 49 years ago to an international phenomenon
- The Hong Kong Breaking Team was formed over the weekend and will represent the city as they shoot for 2024 Paris Olympic qualification
Breakdancing is ready to embrace the spotlight with its Olympic Games debut less than two years away, as the pillar of hip-hop culture returned to its roots in New York over the weekend.
The Netherlands’ India Sardjoe and United States’ Victor Montalvo were crowned the Red Bull BC One World Final champions in a celebration of breaking – as participants prefer to call it – in its New York home, as competitors turn their focus toward Olympic qualifying in 2023.
Locally, the final stage of competition to decide members of the Hong Kong Breaking Team concluded on Sunday, with 12 breakers selected to represent the city in the Breaking for Gold Series for qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The team, made up of six B-boys and six B-girls will get their first taste of competition in February next year at the Breaking for Gold World Series in Kyushu, Japan.
Paris will mark the culmination of breaking’s long journey from hip-hop’s birthplace at a rec room party in the Bronx 49 years ago to an international phenomenon on sport’s biggest stage.
South Korea’s Jeon Ji-ye, known on stage as “Freshbella,” told Reuters via a translator that she pored over footage of hip-hop’s early years, becoming a scholar of breaking’s humble roots even as she embraces the Olympic platform.
