Breakers weigh pressure and excitement before Olympic debut in Paris

Logan Edra knows her journey to securing a spot as one of the breakers on Team USA heading to the Olympics took longer than some expected.

The 21-year-old Filipina American didn't officially qualify for the Paris Games until last month. It was the last competition for her to earn an Olympic spot despite being of one of the world's best breakers – more commonly referred to as breakdancers.

"As much as we have people around us that are encouraging or part of the hype, it's still a lonely journey. No one really knows what you're going through except for you," said Edra, who is ranked No. 14 in the world and had a meteoric rise on the global breaking scene since 2018.

She was expected to defend her championship at the 2022 Red Bull BC One World Final in New York, but was beat out in the intense final round by India Dewi (b-girl India) from the Netherlands before dominating in the Olympic Qualifier Series in Budapest in June.

With all the anticipation around breaking officially debuting as an Olympic sport, Edra and her teammates are navigating the pressure that comes with performing a uniquely American artform while facing tough competition from what has now become a global phenomenon.

Nonetheless, Edra, known as b-girl Logistx, using the term for female breakers and the nickname her father gave her as a child, is focused on staying grounded and embracing the challenges as she prepares for the global stage.

"I value this goal," she said, "but not because of what it comes with. More so because of how I've grown through it."

The breakers from Team USA have the added responsibility of representing the country where breaking, and the broader culture of hip-hop, originated. Hip-hop was born in the Bronx in the 1970s and with it came the rise of breaking, one of the four foundational elements of the movement. The other elements are DJing, MCing or rapping and graffiti "writing."

"I'm really excited to represent a whole country, but I'm more excited to represent my dance, my artform and I'm super excited to bring the hip-hop culture to the Olympics," said Victor Montalvo, or b-boy Victor, of Team USA. "We're going to bring something new to the table. We're going to bring a vibe, we're going to bring that peace, love, unity and having fun."

In the U.S., breaking is often considered to have "died out in the 80s," Edra said. But globally, the culture is thriving.