When The Notorious B.I.G. said “you never thought hip-hop could take it this far” in 1994, it’s likely that even he had no idea just how much further the underground culture would spread. Not only is hip-hop one of the most widely-embraced subcultures globally, but it’s about to become one of the ways representatives of various nations compete for the honor of their respective homelands. USA Today reports that breakdancing — one of the fundamental forms of expression in hip-hop — has been provisionally approved for inclusion in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The Olympic Committee voted in favor of adding breaking to the list of competitions on Tuesday, saying: “It’s important for us in our concept to put sports out of the stadiums and in the heart of the city,” according to a statement from Paris Olympics 2024 president Tony Estanguet. “Our aim from the outset has been to highlight what has been the strength of the Games for 32 Olympiads now — the diversity of the sports and the excitement that comes with performance — while also taking the opportunity afforded by the IOC [International Olympic Committee] to enhance the program and offer a new dimension.”
The competitions for breaking will have 16 athletes in each of its events, including both men’s and women’s divisions. The final vote for inclusion of the sport will take place in December 2020, giving Paris time to locate a venue suitable for the event. That shouldn’t be too hard — a sport that started in the park using broken down dishwasher boxes tends to be pretty versatile, as shown in its rise from street exhibition to global competition.
