The Olympic Games Paris 2024 saw the participation of over 30 B-Boys and B-Girls from more than 15 nations, competing in intricate footwork, physics-defying stunts, and displaying their unique style. The competition took place at the Place de la Concorde, known as the Olympics’ “cool-kid corner,” alongside other “urban” events like BMX and skateboarding.

The breaking competition involved 16 B-Girls and 16 B-Boys, each judged by a panel of nine experts from around the world. The competition format consisted of solo battles in a round-robin, ensuring that every athlete faced off against every other athlete at least once in their group.

Each round, or “throw down,” allowed one breaker 60 seconds to perform improvised moves to previously unheard music chosen by a DJ, with the other competitor immediately responding with their own 60-second throw down. The judges scored each round and battle based on criteria such as technique, vocabulary, execution, musicality, and originality using sliders to indicate their scores.

The scoring system ensured that each of the five categories accounted for 20 percent of the final score, and the odd number of judges prevented the possibility of a tie. As a result, one breaker was declared the winner of each round based on the balance of the sliders.

The breaking competition aimed to showcase the technical, exciting, and almost impossible-to-match flow of the breakers, emphasizing their prowess in power moves like headspins, airflares, and windmills. The event sought to clarify the distinction between “breaking” and “breakdancing,” with the former being the original term used by dancers who pioneered the style.