Breaking made its Olympic debut at the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games in 2018. Following its extraordinary success, breaking was chosen to be part of the Paris 2024 Olympic sports programme as a new sport alongside surfing, skateboarding and sport climbing. So today was the first battle for the medal in La Concorde of Paris.

B-Boy Victor (USA) and B-Girl Nicka (Lithuania) arrived in Paris as favourites after their respective gold medals at the World Championships in Belgium. The Lithuanian 'breaker', won it at just 16 years of age, making her one of the most promising young women in this discipline.

Shigekix (Asian champion), Phil Wizard (Pan-American champion) and Dany Dann (French European champion) are also in the running in the men's event. In the women's event, there is a good chance that the winner will come from Ami and Ayumi, who finished first in the OQS, and 671, the Asian champion from the People's Republic of China.

Brief history and rules

Breaking is an urban dance style that originated in the United States in the 1970s. Rooted in hip-hop culture, breaking emerged in the lively parties of the New York borough of the Bronx and is characterised by acrobatic moves, stylised footwork and the decisive role played by the DJ and MC (Master of Ceremonies) during the battles.

In the 1990s, international competitions were held around the world for the first time, which popularised the dance form among both hip-hop communities and the general public.

The breaking competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games consists of two events, one for men and one for women. In each event, the 16 B-Boys and 16 B-Girls will face off in spectacular solo battles. The athletes will use a combination of strength moves - including windmills, 6-steps and freezes - while adapting their moves and improvising to the beat of the DJ tracks, in a bid to win the judges' votes and take home the first Olympic medals.

The remaining 26 athletes were selected through last year's World Championships, the respective continental Games (Africa, Asia, Europe, Pan American and Oceania) and the Olympic Qualification Series (OQS) held in Shanghai and Budapest this year in May and June, respectively. To be eligible for a universal berth, athletes had to compete in the OQS and finish in the top 24 of the final rankings.