Bizarre new sport introduced to Olympics for the first time leaves fans baffled

A bizarre new sport will feature in the Olympics for the first time this summer and has left fans of the Games baffled.

Breaking will join Olympic stalwarts, including swimming, wrestling and track and field, in Paris over the coming weeks in an unexpected departure from tradition.

The sport, which is based on the urban dance style from the US, is the only new entry in this year’s Games – with karate, softball and baseball all removed after being added to the roster for Tokyo 2020.

Four years earlier in Rio, rugby sevens and golf were introduced to Olympic fans and have become regular features at the event.

But what exactly is breaking and why is it included in this year’s festival of sport?

What does it involve?

More commonly known as breakdancing, the sport originated in New York in the 1970s and is deeply ingrained in the culture of hip-hop.

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By the 1990s, international competitions were being held breaking on a level field with other urban sports including skateboarding and sport climbing.

Athletes, known as B-boys and B-girls, then engage in a ‘battle’ which typically sees a one-on-one dance off, inspired by a variety of dance styles.

The master of ceremonies monitors the battles while a DJ selects the music.

The sport was added to this year’s Olympics after a popular showing at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.

What is the format at Paris 2024?

The event will take place at the Place de la Concorde over the course of two days this summer, August 9 and 10, with 16 B-girls fighting it out on the first day and 16 B-boys competing on the second.

Each battle will consist of three ‘throwdowns’ (or rounds) lasting around 60 seconds, which is longer than you might think with typical battles going on for just 45 seconds.

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The 16 participants will be divided into four groups of four, the best two of which will advance into the quarter-final stage before playing for spots in the semi-final then final.

As normal, the winner earns a coveted gold medal while it is silver for second and bronze for third.

How will the winner of a ‘battle’ be decided?

It’s all in the hands of the judges.

A B-boy or B-girl’s score will be based on five factors, each weighted 20 per cent: musicality, vocabulary, originality, technique and execution.

There will be an element of surprise to each throwdown as the athlete will have no idea what song will be played, meaning they will need to prepare pre-rehearsed routines as well as working on their improvisation skills.

Who will win this year?

B-boy Victor Montalvo and B-girl Nicka, aka Dominika Benevic are the current world champions and therefore among the favorites.

Montalvo, from Florida, won the gold medal at the 2022 World Games and is also a two-time champion of the prestigious Red Bull BC One tournament.

Meanwhile, Benevic, from Lithuania, won the 2023 WDSF World and European Breaking Championships at the age of just 15 and remains one of the youngest in the field.

Canada are also bullish about their chances and will rely on the mastery of Pan American champion Phil Wizard to secure them a bonus gold medal.

CBC commentator Adrian Bernard, himself a B-boy, talked up Wizard’s chances on an episode of the broadcaster’s Commotion podcast and claimed that the Olympian had been training some 25 hours a week in preparation for the Games.

Unfortunately there will be no candidate from Team GB at this year’s breaking event.

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