Breakdancing will be an Olympic sport at the Summer Games in Paris in 2024.
Yes, you read that right.
The form of hip-hop dancing popularized in the 1980s will be featured at the games, and breakdancers will win medals.
On this week’s episode of the Outsports podcast, Five Rings To Rule Them All, I talk about the surprise announcement by the International Olympic Committee. Of course, some people are shocked to see the headline. Frankly, myself included.
Yet you might be surprised to see what some of the Olympic sports were in the first half of the 20th Century. While tug of war seemed like the perfect addition to Battle of the Network Stars decades ago, it was also an Olympic sport from 1900 to 1920, with Great Britain and the United States dominating.
There were also art-based events at the Olympic Games, with no physical activity other than moving a paintbrush up and down.
“What, are they going to add ballroom dancing next?” Doubtful. While both ballroom dancing and breakdancing are part of the larger “dancesport” umbrella, adding breakdancing is designed to bring youth into the fold; Ballroom dancing doesn’t quite fit that bill.
You can listen to the conversation about break dancing in the Olympic Games on the Megaphone player, or by visiting Spotify for an easy browser player. Five Rings To Rule Them All is also available on Google Podcasts, Apple podcasts and many more platforms. Just search for Outsports wherever you get your podcast.
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