08 Apr 2022 19:54
The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) is
pleased to announce that the qualification system for Breaking’s Olympic Games debut at Paris 2024 has been approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board.
There will be three opportunities for the world’s best Breakers to earn one of the 32 places (16 men and 16 women) up for grabs for the Games:
The new multi-sport Olympic qualifier series was announced last week by the IOC and will also
feature BMX Freestyle, Skateboarding, and Sport Climbing. The series will consist of three festival-
style events that will bring together the best athletes in one urban park to compete to qualify for the
Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Hosted in compact city center venues over four days between March and June 2024, the festivals will
offer a new Olympic experience to fans from around the world, blending sport with music, art, and
culture.
The WDSF will be responsible for the running of the competition, which will enhance the exposure of
Breaking using the power of the Olympic brand, while also providing b-boys and b-girls the
opportunity to tell the stories of their own personal journeys on the road to Paris 2024.
At the 2023 World Championships, meanwhile, the highest placed male and female Breakers will both
earn a ticket to Paris 2024.For the continental qualifiers, the highest placed Breaker per gender will
be allocated one place. In the event the highest placed Breaker has already qualified for Paris 2024 via the WDSF World Championship, the quota place will be given to the next-highest ranked athlete, not yet qualified, at the same continental qualifier.
Qualification is subject an eligibility criteria and to the maximum quota place per gender per National
Olympic Committee (NOC).
WDSF President Mr. Shawn Tay said:
Qualifying for the Olympic Games is something that the Breaking community has never experienced before now. We have provided a number of opportunities for the best b-boys and b-girls around the world to book their tickets to the Olympic Games in 2024, and with the new Olympic qualifier series, Olympic qualifying will undoubtedly attract new audiences and give the athletes greater exposure and opportunities. We look forward to finding out who the host cities will be and will continue to do everything we can to ensure that Breaking’s debut at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 will be an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.
Full details of the WDSF qualification system for Breaking can be found here. (Click on «Qualification V» at the bottom of the page)
15 Feb 2022 12:37
Following considerable engagement with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the organisers of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and recent engagement beginning last year with Los Angeles 2028, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) wishes to clarify the next steps on Breaking’s Olympic journey.
With regard to Breaking’s possible inclusion on the Olympic sport programme for LA28, the procedure for the evaluation of potential new sports proposed by the local organisers has not yet been finalized. The WDSF expects to receive, along with all other potential additional sports, further information on the timelines and requirements in March/April this year.
As our National Member Bodies will know, Breaking was included at Paris 2024 as one of four additional sports proposed by the local organising committee as part of an IOC-led, city-based initiative to enhance the Olympic programme by making it more inclusive, gender-balanced and youth-centred.
Paris 2024 submitted its proposal to the IOC to integrate four new sports into its edition of the Games only – Breaking, Sport Climbing, Skateboarding, and Surfing – that are closely associated with youth and reward creativity and athletic performance.
While Sport Climbing, Skateboarding, and Surfing (which all made their Olympic debuts at Tokyo 2020 last summer) have subsequently been included in the list of 28 core sports for LA28, Breaking has to reapply to be considered as an additional sport for the 2028 Olympic Games as it has not yet appeared at an Olympic Games.
The WDSF has established a Committee consisting of representatives from our USA, French & Australian member bodies to be part of this important process and to help reinforce the media, demographic and commercial value of our case for Breaking’s inclusion at LA28 and subsequently the Olympic Games Brisbane 2032. A final decision by LA28 and the IOC is expected to be taken by mid-2023.
The WDSF believes that Breaking would be an excellent choice for LA28 and beyond, as it requires no new facilities to be built, can be organized almost anywhere, has a low athlete quota (32 in total) and adds significant sporting and commercial value.
“The WDSF has and will continue to advocate for the inclusion of Breaking at LA28 and looks forward to working with the IOC and local organizing committee further in the months ahead,” said WDSF President Shawn Tay. “The United States is the birthplace of Breaking and it would be a dream come true for so many to see it added to the sport programme for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The WDSF is ready, willing and able to help make it a reality.”
We can also confirm that WDSF and our Australian member body, DanceSport Australia Limited, have also already started to make connections with the organisers of the Olympic Games Brisbane 2032. In WDSF’s opinion, the opportunities for all athletes, the city hosts, the IOC all WDSF member bodies will be significant.
With regard to the qualification process for Breaking’s Olympic debut at Paris 2024, the WDSF has been working in close collaboration with the IOC to develop a system that is fair and inclusive for all b-boys and b-girls worldwide that also increases engagement on TV and digital channels in the lead-up to the Games.
The WDSF has already signed off on the format and structure of the qualification process and hopes to share the details, together with the IOC, with the Breaking community and our National Member Bodies in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, the WDSF has been busy preparing for Breaking’s inclusion at the World Games 2022 in Birmingham this 7-17 July and at the next Asian Games, in Hangzhou, China, from 10-25 September. In addition, Breaking is set to feature at the 2023 European Olympic Games in Poland and at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal.
The opportunities and challenges are enormous, and although there are no guarantees for inclusion in further Olympic Games after Paris 2024, the WDSF is working hard to make it happen in the interest of all athletes, all Members and the entire DanceSport community.
05 Dec 2021 07:09
B-girl Ayumi (JPN) and b-boy Victor (USA) were crowned World Champions on 4 December at the 2021 WDSF World Breaking Championship in Paris.
The two overcame a pool of 204 Breakers from over 50 countries in 1vs1 battles that took place throughout the day at the sold-out Théâtre du Châtelet in the heart of the French capital.
Ayumi went head-to-head against compatriot and defending World Champion Ami in the first final of the evening, coming from behind to take the title 3 rounds to 1. B-girl Jilou (GER) finished third by outlasting a spirited Anti (ITA) in the bronze-medal battle.
It was an all North American final on the b-boy side, with Vicious Victor exhibiting great power moves as well as stamina in all four rounds to beat Canada’s Phil Wizard 3-1. The Impressive rise of Kazakhstan’s Amir also continued in Paris, the 24-year-old member of the Predatorz crew taking home bronze with a victory over Luan San (BRA).
Rounding out the Top 8 were b-girls Kastet (FDSARR), Madmax (BEL), Sunny (USA) and Paulina (POL), and b-boys Danny Dan (FRA), Gun (FDSARR), Xak (ESP) and Mini Joe (VEN).
“Congratulations to all the Breakers who competed this weekend in Paris for providing such inspiration and enjoyment, especially the medal winners, who were a step ahead of the rest,” said WDSF President Shawn Tay. “The fact that the finals were a sell-out is proof of the huge appetite for Breaking globally and it bodes extremely well for our debut at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in three years.”
The 2021 WDSF World Breaking Championship doubled as a qualifying event for next year’s The World Games 2022, scheduled for 7-17 July in Birmingham, USA.
In total, 91 b-girls and 113 b-boys took part in the Championship, including 2018 Youth Olympic Games alumni Shigekix (JPN), X-Rain (CHN), Emma (CAN) and Señorita Carlota (FRA).
A stellar line-up of judges included Skim (KOR), Kujo (USA), Valentine (FRA), Fastfoot (FDSARR), Bojin (TPE), Kim (CHN), Storm (GER), Dora (HUN), Fox (CYP), and Extremo (ESP). Renegade (GBR) filled the head judge duties, while Katsu One (JPN) was the chairperson.
MC Amjad and MC Maleek shared the mic, with DJs Nobunaga and One-Up manning the turntables.
The event was organised by the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) and the French Dance Federation (FFDanse) in partnership with the Agence Nationale du Sport, the Ile-de-France region and the city of Paris.
The event was livestreamed in France on france.tv and the Mouv’ radio network, and globally on Olympics.com and the Breaking For Gold website.
Back to the Future
The location of the World Championship was highly significant because it was on the Place du Châtelet, in front of the theatre, where French b-boys and b-girls first practiced Breaking after importing the art form from the United States in the 1980s.
Breaking was officially added to the sports programme for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in December 2020. The Breaking competition will comprise two events at Paris 2024 – one for men and one for women – where 16 b-boys and 16 b-girls will go face to face in solo battles on the Place de la Concorde.
Photo credits: © Little Shao
02 Dec 2021 07:31
With less than three years to go to Breaking’s Olympic Games debut at Paris 2024, some 200 of the world’s leading b-girls and b-boys will provide a taste of things to come when they converge on the French capital for this weekend’s 2021 WDSF World Breaking Championship.
With Breakers from over 50 countries competing in 1vs1 battles at the Théâtre du Châtelet on 4 December, it will be the biggest and most-anticipated Breaking event of the year.
The action gets under way with qualification rounds for both genders, culminating in the finals from 20:00 local time. The finals will be open to spectators, subject to COVID-19 safety protocols.
The event is being organised by the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) and the French Dance Federation (FFDanse) in partnership with the Agence Nationale du Sport, the Ile-de-France region and the city of Paris. It will be livestreamed in France on france.tv and the Mouv’ radio network, and globally on Olympics.com.
Some of the biggest names in Breaking are scheduled to participate, including b-girls Vanessa (POR), Sunny (USA), Jilou (GER), Ami (JPN), and Vavi (FDSARR), and b-boys Vicious Victor (USA), Hatsolo (FIN), Phil Wizard (CAN), and Kid Karam and Sunni (GBR).
A number of dancers that took part at Breaking’s Youth Olympic Games debut in Buenos Aires in 2018 also made the cut, including b-boys Shigekix (JPN) and X-Rain (CHN), and b-girls Emma (CAN) and Señorita Carlota (FRA).
MC Amjad and MC Maleek will share the mic, with DJs Nobunaga and One-Up manning the turntables.
The location of the World Championship is highly significant because it was on the Place du Châtelet, in front of the theatre, where the first French b-boys and b-girls imported the art form from the United States in the 1980s.
Breaking was officially added to the sports programme for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in December 2020. The Breaking competition will comprise two events at Paris 2024 – one for men and one for women – where 16 b-boys and 16 b-girls will go face to face in solo battles on the Place de la Concorde in the heart of the city.
For all the championship news, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @breakingforgold
26 Oct 2021 12:25
With great regret the All Russian Federation of DanceSport and Acrobatic Rock'n'Roll (FDSARR) had to inform that the Russian Open Breaking events, scheduled to take place in Moscow from October 29th til 31st need to be postponed due to the COVID 19 related Lockdown of the country, ordered by the Government of the Russian Federation. The lockdown order for the period of October 28th until November 7th unfortunately does not allow to run the first event of the newly installed WDSF Breaking competition series.
FDSARR combines the sad news with a positive view into the close future and offers a new date for Russia's most prestigious event, which shall now be held in Moscow from December 10th to 12th.
We sincerely hope that the actual governmental measures against the spread of the Corona virus will have the expected success and all WDSF Breakers have the chance to gather and battle in Moscow again on the second weekend in December.