Paris 2024: The countdown for the Paris 2024 Olympic games has intensified. The opening ceremony of the competition is is scheduled on July 26 even though a few competitions will start before that itself. While there are three sports which will be making their debut in the Paris Games, one that will probably be talked about the most is breaking or breakdancing.
History Of Breaking
Breaking originated in the latter half of the 20th century. Certain African American communities in the United States are usually associated with the origin of what is known as breakdancing, b-boying and b-girling among other names. Now set to make its debut as a sport, breaking remains in essence a danceform which has made its presence felt globally.
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That has been one of the key reasons which has led to it being inducted into the biggest sporting event of the world where it will be performed on the streets of the French capital. Even though this will be the first Olympic games which will witness breaking as an event, Breakdancing's association with the Olympic movement goes back to 2018 where it debuted in the Youth Olympic Games.
It was here that upon seeing its potential to attract youngsters in the audience that breakdancing was included in the Paris 2024 Games.
Breaking At Paris 2024 Olympic Games: Format
In the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the events have been divided in the men's and women's categories with 16 participants set to compete against each other in a round-robin format. The initial round will be followed by quarter-finals, semi-fianals and ultimately the final.
Every one-on-one battle will be a best-of-three format. Each breaker will be given a time period of one minute to perform. As soon as one performer finishes though, the other must immediately start.
The athletes participating in breaking will be using a combination of moves like windmills, the 6-step and freezes as they battle it out for the first set of Olympic medals in this discipline.
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Breaking At Paris 2024 Olympic Games: Rules And Judgement Criteria
There will be panel of judges comprising of a minimium of three members. They will be assessing the performances and giving a score which will be based on different parameters. Not every parameter though will have the same weightage.
Technique, performativity and creativity will have 60 per cent weightage in the total score with musicality, variety and will make up the remaining 40 per cent. A distinctive aspect of this event is that the dancers will not know making the remaining 40 per cent.