20 Jul 2020 14:43
The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) today confirms the news that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and government of Senegal have mutually agreed to the postponement of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Dakar 2022 by four years to 2026 due to ramifications from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement, the IOC cited factors such as “the postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the subsequent postponement of major international sports events, and the operational and financial consequences of the global health crisis” for the decision to reschedule the event. The IOC Session ratified the agreement on 17 July.
Breaking was set to make its second appearance at the YOG in 2022 following its highly successful Olympic debut at the YOG Buenos Aires 2018, where 24 breakers from 18 countries competed in 1vs1 and mixed-nationality Bonnie & Clyde battles.
The WDSF appreciates that this news will be disappointing to the many young b-boys and b-girls who were looking forward to competing in the Senegalese capital in two years’ time.
“The WDSF and everyone involved in the planning for Dakar 2022 are naturally disappointed, but we fully understand that the decision was made in the best interests of the athletes, so we are in full agreement with it,” said WDSF President Shawn Tay. “We share the frustration of all the b-boys and b-girls who were aiming to battle at Dakar 2022, and will redouble our efforts to ensure we organise the best possible event for breakers aged 15 to 18 in 2026.”
Updated information regarding the qualification procedure for Dakar 2026 and other details will be communicated by the WDSF in due course, subject to approval by the IOC.
17 Jul 2020 06:55
The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) and Chinese DanceSport Federation are pleased to announce that a new date for the rescheduled WDSF World Breaking Championships in Nanjing, China has been set for 20 June 2021.
Originally scheduled to take place in August 2020, the Championships were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This rescheduled event will take place at the Lishui Sports Centre and is expected to attract some 150 b-boys and b-girls.
“The success of the 2019 Breaking World Championships in Nanjing gives us great confidence in our Chinese hosts, who are aiming to organise an even more spectacular event next year,” said WDSF President Shawn Tay. “The health of the Breakers, organisers and fans remains our top priority, of course, and we are committed to working with the local organisers to ensure the best and safest conditions possible.”
The WDSF will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation around the world and follow recommendations from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the government of the People’s Republic of China with regard to the organisation of the World Championships.
Detailed information on the updated deadlines and qualification procedures will be communicated in the coming months.
The WDSF World Breaking Championships will be jointly organised by the WDSF, the Chinese DanceSport Federation, the Social Sports Administration Centre of Jiangsu Province, the Nanjing Sports Bureau, and the Lishui District People’s Government of Nanjing City.
B-girl Ami (JPN) and B-boy Menno (NED) are the reigning world champions, having topped the podium at the 2019 event.
02 Jul 2020 15:31
The coronavirus may still be playing havoc with the DanceSport competition calendar, but work nevertheless continues unabated at the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Paris 2024 Organising Committee with regard to Breaking’s possible inclusion at the Olympic Games in four years’ time.
The IOC provisionally approved Breaking for the 2024 Olympic Programme in June 2019 along with Skateboarding, Sport Climbing and Surfing – each proposed by the Paris organisers as additional sports for their edition of the Games. The IOC then earmarked December 2020 as the deadline to make its final decision on the inclusion of the four sports, a deadline that was upheld last month by the IOC Executive Board (EB) in spite of the postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 to 2021.
“For the [Paris 2024] event programme, we have maintained the December 2020 deadline, even though new sports can now not be tested on the Olympic stage, but we need to give certainty to the concerned athletes, their NOCs and Federations and the Organising Committee,” IOC President Thomas Bach said following the IOC EB meeting on 10 June this year.
The decision to stick to the original deadline came after a review by the Olympic Programme Commission that considered the impact on and feedback from key stakeholders, including the Paris 2024 Organising Committee, International Federations, National Olympic Committees and athletes. The Commission argued that maintaining the initial deadline would “provide certainty to all the involved parties” and aid in all aspects of planning for Paris 2024.
While the Breaking community awaits the final decision by the IOC (the exact dates of the December EB meeting will be communicated in due course), the WDSF has meanwhile given its tentative approval to Paris 2024 to host Breaking, should it get the nod this December, on the Place de la Concorde in the heart of the city.
The Organising Committee has proposed that a temporary multi-sport venue be built on the famous square located between the iconic Champs-Elysées and the jardin des Tuileries, with 3x3 Basketball, BMX Freestyle and Sport Climbing also being considered for the venue.
Paris 2024 expects the stadium to provide a totally new experience and to attract new and younger spectators.
“The WDSF remains excited and hopeful about the IOC decision this December on Breaking at Paris 2024,” says WDSF President Shawn Tay. “Our ongoing discussions with Paris 2024 have been very fruitful and we are in full support of their proposed concept to host Breaking, should it be approved, on the Place de la Concorde, which would be a truly magical backdrop for the world’s best b-boys and b-girls to showcase their incredible talents to a massive global audience.”
A springboard to Paris 2024 for up-and-coming Breakers could come in the form of the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2022, where Breaking will be making its second straight appearance at the multi-sport event for athletes aged 15-18 (for Breaking the ages are 16-18, so anyone born in 2004, 2005 or 2006 for Dakar 2022).
Preparations are well under way in the Senegalese capital, and the IOC says it will confirm the official qualifying schedule and rules for the 4th edition of the summer YOG at the next meeting of its Executive Board on 15 July. The WDSF will announce the details as soon as they become available.
And while we all can’t wait for battles to resume again in the flesh, the WDSF has been busy teaming up with FISE to organise the next best thing – Breaking battles online!
E-FISE Montpellier is a new and innovative online experience that will kick off on 9 July with a video contest open to all b-boys and b-girls. The rules are simple: shoot, submit and share for your chance to advance to the finals, which will be shown live on FISE TV and Eurosport on September 12.
Breaking will join BMX, Rollerblading, Parkour, Skateboarding, Scooter and Wakeboarding with minimum overall prize money of €150,000 up for grabs (€4,500 each for the winning b-boy and b-girl). Fans will be able to vote for their favourite videos online, while a “WEBSTIVAL” featuring online activations will provide festival vibes throughout the competition period.
Last but certainly not least, a new date for the rescheduled WDSF World Breaking Championship in Nanjing, China (postponed from 2020 to 2021) will be communicated shortly.
In the meantime, stay tuned to WDSF channels for all Olympic-related information and other exciting news in the weeks to come!
07 Apr 2020 07:06
The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) has taken the decision to postpone the 2020 WDSF World Breaking Championships due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Championships were scheduled to take place in Nanjing, China on August 30.
The decision was made to protect the health of the athletes, their entourages, the organisers and fans during this unprecedented time.
The WDSF is currently working with the Nanjing organisers to find a date in 2021 to reschedule the Championships. The new date, along with updated deadlines and qualification procedures, will be communicated in due course.
The WDSF, our Chinese friends and all National Member bodies were excited to see the best b-girls and b-boys compete in Nanjing this summer. We hope that by rescheduling the World Championships to 2021, the event will become a celebration for the entire DanceSport community and we vow to return stronger than ever.
Thank you in advance for your understanding. Stay strong, stay healthy, and see you all in 2021, the Year of the Ox!
16 Jan 2020 12:01
Following the success of the 2019 WDSF World Breaking Championship in Nanjing, China, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) is pleased to announce that the 2020 edition will return to the eastern Chinese city on 30 August.
This year’s Championship will gather over 150 b-boys and b-girls, who will compete in 1vs1 battles for the chance to be crowned world champion.
“We were very satisfied with the outcome of last year’s Championship and are excited to be returning to Nanjing this year,” said WDSF President Shawn Tay. “Most importantly, the feedback from the dancers was quite positive, so we are looking forward to once again seeing the world’s best b-boys and b-girls showcasing their incredible skills in China this August.”
The World Championship will be jointly organised by the WDSF, the Chinese DanceSport Federation, the Social Sports Administration Centre of Jiangsu Province, the Nanjing Sports Bureau, and the Lishui District People’s Government of Nanjing City.
The 2019 WDSF World Breaking Championship featured some 150 breakers from a record 65 countries. B-girl Ami (JPN) and B-boy Menno (NED) are the reigning world champions.
Qualification for the 2020 WDSF World Breaking Championship will be through WDSF National Member Bodies (NMBs). Each NMB can select two b-girls and two b-boys, most of whom will qualify via national qualifiers. The local organisers have the right to also invite a number of the world’s leading breakers in addition to the national quotas. More details will be provided in due course.
Breaking has been provisionally approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to be part of the sports programme for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, following its Olympic debut at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in 2018. A final decision on whether Breaking will appear in Paris will be made in December this year.
In December 2019, the IOC confirmed that Breaking has been included on the sports programme for the next Youth Olympic Games, due to take place in Dakar (SEN) in 2022.