Everything About Paris Olympics’ Newest Sport; Breaking

Here is everything you need to know about Paris Olympics’ 2024 newest sport that will take the main stage soon.

Published on Aug 09, 2024  |  09:47 PM IST |  57.7K
Paris 2024 [Credit-X]
Paris 2024 [Credit-X]

The new child on the street, breaking, will make its Olympic premiere in Paris. For two days, immediately before the Games' conclusion, participants will perform astounding feats of agility and gravity-defying acrobatics in 60-second bursts of dance.

Breaking - sometimes known as breakdancing, though that name is now considered archaic - is a kind of street dance that originated in the United States in the 1970s, primarily among African American and Latino populations in New York. It is one of hip-hop's original four disciplines, with DJing, graffiti, and MCing, and is distinguished by acrobatic techniques and sophisticated footwork done to funk, breakbeats, and hip-hop.

Breakers compete in dance "battles" in which dancers take turns displaying their greatest skills. Every dance is unique, there is no set routine to follow, and b-boys and b-girls have no idea what they will be breaking into. The DJ alone controls the music, establishing the tone and rhythm for each combat, while the MC - the master of ceremonies - hypes up the crowd and keeps the adrenaline pumping.

Breaking was launched at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires in 2018, significantly increasing its popularity and paving the door for its inclusion in Paris 2024.

Breaking will take place over two days, with women participating on Friday, August 9, and men competing on Saturday, August 10. Battles will take place at the Parc Urbain, which is erected around the Place de la Concorde. The center of Paris' urban sport and culture will offer 3×3 basketball, skateboarding, and BMX freestyle.

Participants are referred to as b-boys and b-girls, rather than competitors, athletes, or even dancers, and are frequently identified only by their B-boy or B-girl names. There will be 32 altogether, with 16 b-girls and 16 b-boys.

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There is a round-robin stage where the 16 breakers are divided into four groups and dance for one minute each against everyone in their group. The two best from each group advance to the knockout stage. Most major breaking events have two or three throwdowns every bout, escalating to five in the final.

There are too many to mention, but breakers incorporate three fundamental components into their routine:

• Toprock: Moves performed when the breaker is standing up, primarily including hand moves and agile feet. Most throwdowns begin with toprock, which was originally meant to signal other dancers to move aside.

• Downrock: The motions most commonly associated with breaking, executed on the floor. Breakers can spin on almost any part of their body at breakneck speed, mixing the movements with precise footwork, drops, and transitions.

• Freeze: When a breaker comes to a complete halt, generally in an acrobatic, seemingly impossible posture, indicating the conclusion of a sequence.

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A panel of judges scores each round and fight, evaluating breakers' performances based on five factors, each worth 20% of the overall score: technique, vocabulary, execution, musicality, and originality.

Unlike other graded sports, breakers compete in one-on-one contests to determine who is the best; there is no leaderboard.

Instead of assigning a score to each criterion, judges (typically respected members of the breaking community) utilize a computerized slider to select a breaker in each category.

Also Read: Olympics Modified 2024 Closing Ceremony Script ‘Umpteenth Time’ After Opening Ceremony Last Supper Controversy

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About The Author

A graduate in journalism. Blesson is an Indore-based writer who has a keen interest in exploring sports news,

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