Breaking primed for breakout role at Paris 2024 Olympics

Editor's note: Decision Makers is a global platform for decision makers to share their insights on events shaping today's world. Shawn Tay is the president of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF). The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

I was recently asked if a B-boy or B-girl could ever be considered in the same illustrious company as celebrated Olympians such as Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, or Nadia Comaneci.

My answer was, and still is, an unequivocal yes.

Of course, as president of the global governing body overseeing breaking's Olympic journey, my opinion could be considered somewhat biased.

But please hear me out.

On August 9-10 at the Paris Olympic Games, 33 of the world's most talented breakers (16 B-boys and 17 B-girls) will compete for gold in one-on-one competitions known as "battles" at the iconic Place de la Concorde.

When the sport was added to Paris 2024 back in 2020, one of the stated goals was to attract younger, more culturally diverse audiences. With its obvious youth appeal and ties to hip-hop – breaking being one of the four founding pillars of the genre – this objective is clearly achievable.

Without any doubt, this August, the sport will resonate with people of all ages and backgrounds, surprising many along the way.

Dance is, after all, one of the oldest human endeavors, practiced for thousands of years by civilizations in all corners of the world.

Simply put, it's in our DNA.

That is why I am convinced that even those who are completely unfamiliar with breaking, a style of dance that originated in New York City in the 1970s before evolving into a competitive sport, cannot help but be impressed by what they'll see from our athletes in Paris.

As the only dance sport on the Olympic program, breaking offers a little something for everyone. First and foremost, it features explosive, improvisational moves, amazing artistry and impressive athleticism – all a reflection of each athlete's unique style and creativity. And because breakers cannot repeat dance moves, there is a layer of artistic unpredictability that audiences find captivating.

An urban sport that can be organized practically anywhere, breaking is also the only sport on the Olympic Summer Games program where hip-hop and funk music form such an important part of the competition, giving sports fans a totally different and unique experience. And since our athletes do not know ahead of time what music the DJs will play, they must improvise on the spot each time they hit the dance floor, adding a sense of immediacy and excitement to the proceedings.

In addition, MCs are on hand to engage, educate and entertain audiences before, during and after the battles, elevating the atmosphere and keeping each event flowing smoothly.

Breaking, therefore, is a rare sport that appeals to all the senses.

It is also a sport that is highly social media friendly. During Breaking's first appearance at the Buenos Aires 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games, for example, a video clip of the gold-medal-winning B-boy went viral, which eventually led to mentions in mainstream media outlets such as Sports Illustrated and The New York Times.

With an estimated global audience of well over a billion people expected to watch Paris 2024, there is every chance that one or more of our breakers will rocket into the social media stratosphere once again.

I believe this because I have witnessed first-hand the extraordinary upward trajectory of B-boys and B-girls around the world since 2016 when the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) first accepted the invitation from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to lead breaking's Olympic development.

The motivation to be part of the Olympic Games has resulted in incredible growth in terms of performance and organization. So much so that nobody – fans, judges, even fellow competitors – knows exactly what to expect from each breaker any longer, committed as they are to continually taking the sport to new, previously unimaginable heights.

At the recent Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) in Shanghai and Budapest (the final qualifier events for Paris 2024), the level of artistry, imagination and athleticism on display was quite simply jaw-dropping.

The steady improvement of all aspects of breaking, both on the field of play and off, can be directly attributed to the sport's involvement in the Olympic Games. While the WDSF has helped professionalize the sport and give it structure, the breaking community itself has embraced the Olympic spirit, as they can see that their culture can be adjusted to become a very exciting sport without losing its integrity or values.

This bodes extremely well for breaking's Olympic debut, and I cannot wait to see what kind of magic our 33 Olympians will conjure up on the Place de la Concorde with Olympic gold on the line.

For these reasons, I am confident that breaking stands poised to become the runaway success story of the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad.

I encourage everyone to tune in and see for yourself this August 9-10. You will not be disappointed!

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