Road to Paris 2024 - WDSF announces 2023 Breaking calendar 16/12/2022

With less than two years to go until Breaking’s debut at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, we are pleased to announce our calendar of events for 2023 to allow all interested b-boys, b-girls and WDSF National Member Bodies (NMBs) to prepare well in advance.

The schedule for 2023 is as follows:

*Confirmed means the event is formally awarded to the relevant WDSF National Member Body (NMB) and is approved by the WDSF.

Pending Formal Bidding means that the formal bidding procedure by the NMB has not been completed and the event has not yet been officially approved by the WDSF. The status of the event is currently provisional and may be subject to change.
 
Under WDSF Review means that the status of the event is provisional. The event could change or it may not take place should the WDSF not grant permission.

More events may be included at a later stage to the 2023 WDSF Calendar, which will be updated regularly to reflect any changes and/or confirmations, regardless of their status written above.

The WDSF is currently in discussions with potential hosts for the 2023 WDSF Continental Championships in Oceania.

All five BfG World Series events have either being granted or are pending formal bidding. As there is still time to organize other BfG events in 2023, all NMBs are encouraged to consider hosting a BfG Challenge Series or International Series event in their countries for the benefit of their athletes. Interested NMBs should contact the WDSF Sports Department for more information: [email protected]

BY THE NUMBERS

Despite the qualification process for Paris 2024 having already started, there are still numerous chances for all Breakers from all countries to book their spot at the Olympic Games – even if they have not yet participated in a qualifying event.

In total, 16 b-girls and 16 b-boys will compete at Paris 2024 via the WDSF Olympic Qualification System, which was approved by the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in April 2022 and is based on the principles of inclusivity, transparency, and equality.

Only two b-boys and two b-girls maximum from each National Olympic Committee (NOC) can qualify for Paris 2024:

HOW TO QUALIFY FOR PARIS 2024

The winning b-girl (1) and winning b-boy (1) at the 2023 WDSF World Breaking Championship will qualify directly for Paris 2024.

The winning b-girls (5) and winning b-boys (5) at each of the Continental Games – or in the event there is no Continental Games, the winners of the corresponding Continental Championships – held throughout 2023 will also qualify directly for Paris 2024.

The final 20 Olympic spots (10 for b-boys and 10 for b-girls) must be earned via the Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) in 2024.

Note: Because only one (1) athlete per gender per NOC can qualify directly for Paris 2024, should two b-boys, for example, from the same country win the WDSF World Breaking Championship and the Continental Games, only the winner of the competition taking place earliest in 2023 would qualify directly for the Olympic Games. The second b-boy would have to earn his Olympic berth via the OQS.

OLYMPIC QUALIFIER SERIES

The IOC-led, four-sport OQS will bring together aspiring Olympians in Breaking, BMX freestyle, skateboarding, and sport climbing in three cities between March and June 2024.

The competitions will be held together in Urban Parks, offering a new Olympic experience to fans around the world by blending sport with music, art, and culture.

In total, 40 b-girls and 40 b-boys will compete in the OQS for the 20 Olympic berths (10 per gender) that will still be available.

Only three b-boys and three b-girls maximum from each National Olympic Committee (NOC) can qualify to OQS.

HOW TO QUALIFY FOR THE OQS

There are many ways for Breakers to qualify for the Olympic Qualifier Series. They can do so by:

• Finishing 2^nd thru 6^th at the 2023 WDSF World Breaking Championship (5 b-girls and 5 b-boys in total)
• For athletes from continents with both Continental Games and Continental Championships: Finishing 2^nd at the Continental Games; finishing 1^st or 2^nd at the Continental Championships (3 b-girls and 3 b-boys in total per continent)
• For athletes from continents with only Continental Championships: Finishing 2^nd thru 4^th at the Continental Championships (3 b-girls and 3 b-boys in total per continent)
• Being one of the next 14 highest-ranked b-boys/b-girls (who have not yet qualified for Paris 2024) on the WDSF Ranking List (14 b-girls and 14 b-boys in total)
• In addition, one (1) b-boy and one (1) b-girl from the Olympic Host Country (France) will earn OQS berths, as will 3 athletes of each gender from the 3 OQS Host Countries (to be determined)
• Finally, 2 universality quota places per gender will also be awarded by the IOC’s Tripartite Commission. Universality quota places promote sports development, provide equal opportunity to smaller countries, and progress the competitive ambitions of emerging nations. Note: One (1) Olympic Host Country quota athlete and two (2) universality quota athletes per gender can qualify for Paris 2024 only if they finish in the top 24 of the OQS.

* Ranking points are earned at Continental Championships, WDSF Breaking for Gold World Series, International Series, and Challenge Series events that are currently under way. Only a Breaker’s top 4 results (calculated by the highest number of ranking points) for the Breaking for Gold Series will count towards their ranking points in both the Breaking for Gold World Ranking and Breaking for Gold Olympic Qualifier Ranking. For the Breaking for Gold World Ranking, the results are valid for 1 year and are used for seeding Breakers into Breaking for Gold Series events. For the Breaking for Gold Olympic Qualifier Ranking, the results are collected in the period from 1 July 2022 – 31 December 2023, allowing for numerous opportunities for b-boys and b-girls to improve their ranking in order to qualify for the Olympic Qualifier Series.

PARTICIPATION IN BfG WORLD SERIES

The WDSF wishes to draw attention to the fact that from 1 January 2023, participation at Breaking For Gold World Series events will be limited to the three top-ranked b-boys and three top-ranked b-girls per NMB.

• For NMBs with national ranking systems approved by the WDSF: Their highest-ranking athlete (1) per gender on the WDSF BfG World Ranking List qualifies to participate at BfG World Series events in 2023, in addition to the two (2) next highest-ranked athletes per gender on the national ranking or by NMB nomination. Nominations will be made by National RLS Administrators through the WDSF Competition Registration System (CRS), subject to approval by the WDSF Sports Department. No tickets, flights, accommodation, etc., should be purchased until nominations are confirmed.

• For NMBs without national ranking systems approved by the WDSF: Their three (3) highest-ranking athletes per gender on the WDSF BfG World Ranking List qualify to participate at BfG World Series events in 2023. The selection will be made according to the ranking list on the 1st day of the month immediately before each event.

• Wild card: In accordance with the IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020+5, which recommends widening the scope of engagement with and attracting the best athletes, the WDSF has implemented a wild card system to ensure that all b-boys and b-girls around the world have an equal opportunity to participate at BfG World Series events in 2023. The WDSF Vice President for Sport has the right to grant a wild card per NMB/BfG World Series up to 1 July 2023 that will also apply to Breakers from countries without NMBs or limited or no access otherwise to WDSF events. A wild card can be issued to Breakers in countries that 1) have no athlete on the WDSF BfG World Ranking List and 2) whose National Ranking System has not been approved by the WDSF.

NMBs looking for recognition of their national ranking list must meet the following conditions to be approved by the WDSF, no later than 1^st day of the month immediately before the relevant event:

1. NMB must have organized a National Championship in 2022/2023;
2. NMB must have organized at least 1 additional national competition; and
3. NMB must have made its National Ranking List public on their website.

Important note: If an NMB cannot provide proof to the WDSF Sports Department of the three (3) requirements mentioned above, the nominations will not be accepted. In that case all three (3) athletes will be selected according to the WDSF BfG World Ranking List, when possible.

For more details about the qualification process for Paris 2024, please refer to the following documents:

• Olympic Qualification System
• Olympic Qualification System – Road to Paris 2024
• Continental Games Qualification System

For all questions or comments, please contact: [email protected]