Current:Home > InvestBreaking made history in Paris. We'll probably never see it at Olympics again. -Profound Wealth Insights
Breaking made history in Paris. We'll probably never see it at Olympics again.
View
Date:2025-04-14 06:35:26
PARIS — Victor Montalvo became the first Olympic bronze medalist in the history of men's breaking Saturday night.
He knows he might also be the last.
The breaking competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics was years in the making and over in about 30 hours, bringing a brief flash of excitement and intrigue right at the end of the Games. And for breakers like Montalvo, who competes as B-boy Victor, it definitely felt different than other competitions − a bit more intense, and just more special. It felt like the sort of moment that, realistically, the Summer Olympics might never see again.
"It's just a win for all of us," Victor said. "I'm just super happy for breaking and hip-hop culture. We represented, and everyone loved it."
In a sport that borders on art, where friendships and personal beef serve as the backdrop to every battle, Victor said it felt Saturday night like all 16 men in the competition were working together.
2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.
There were Olympic medals at stake, and bragging rights, and maybe even endorsement deals and future financial opportunities. But it was telling that, at the end of the gold medal battle, B-boy Phil Wizard of Canada and B-boy Dany Dann of France put their arms around one another and walked toward the crowd with smiles on their faces.
Phil Wizard, whose legal name is Philip Kim, was soon introduced as the man who won gold. And Dany Dann, aka Danis Civil, took silver. But for both, it was mostly just about being there.
"For us, as of now, this is the one and only," Phil Wizard said. "So to be a part of history is truly incredible."
The International Olympic Committee added breaking, more commonly known as breakdancing, to the sports program in Paris because president Thomas Bach and his colleagues thought it would attract the younger, social-media savvy viewers that they were seeking. It also fit in with local organizers' broader goal of a more "urban" Olympic Games.
But even from the start, breaking was viewed as more of a novelty than a new sport with staying power.
A sport is usually not considered a "core" part of the Olympic program until it is part of at least three consecutive Games, which breaking will not be. Organizers for the next Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028 had the ability to propose new sports they wanted to include in their Games and opted for flag football, cricket, lacrosse and squash over breaking − despite the dance's deep history in the United States, specifically the Bronx.
The breakers who competed Saturday night were well aware of this. It is unlikely that the sport is brought back to the Olympic stage, either at the 2032 Brisbane Games or beyond.
"I feel like we did our job," Victor said. "Everyone loved it. The crowd was going crazy. It's OK. We're not in 2028, but honestly, I (am) the first ever bronze medalist for breaking. So, that's an amazing thing to say."
Victor was first introduced to breaking by his father Victor Sr. and uncle Hector Bermudez, both of whom are former B-boys. When Victor Sr. told his son that he used to break, and Victor Jr. didn't believe him, the elder Victor got out his old gear, moved some furniture around in the living room and started doing headspins and windmills. Eight years later, Victor Jr. started breaking competitively.
As he moved up the ranks, from breaking at local cyphers to Red Bull's annual BC One event, Victor emerged as one of the best in the world at his craft, even winning two of the past three world championships. But the 30-year-old from Kissimmee, Florida, didn't seriously consider the possibility that breaking would be an Olympic sport until it actually was one. Everything he's experienced in Paris − the crowd at Place de la Concorde, the podium ceremony, the medal − was unexpected, which is maybe why he didn't seem the least bit fazed by not winning gold.
"I didn't get the gold, but I got the bronze," Victor said. "And we all represented hip-hop culture. Every competitor that was in there represented hip-hop and breaking.
"Hopefully a younger generation, more of the younger generation, starts dancing and gets into breaking. Because it’s amazing: You don’t need much for it, you know? You need a dance floor, self-expression and that’s about it."
On the stage Saturday night, there was plenty of bombast and braggadocio throughout the battles, which consisted of either two or three rounds and were critiqued by a panel of nine judges. But in the little moments after each battle, all of that melted away.
Phil Wizard went out of his way to talk about how, despite his new Olympic gold medal, he doesn't consider himself to be the best in the world.
“I can lose next week at another competition to anybody out there," Phil Wizard said. "It’s honestly just a big game of rock, paper, scissors – especially at this level."
Now, though, the 27-year-old from Vancouver will go down in history − just like Dany Dann and Victor and everyone who participated in the competition, or witnessed it, or even watched it on TV. It might not happen again.
"You will not forget this day!" one of the weekend's emcees, Max Oliveira, reminded the crowd Friday night during the women's competition. "Breaking at the Olympics, it's just incredible!"
As the gold-medal bout neared, Oliveira ratcheted up the excitement even further, proclaiming into the microphone that he never wanted the day to end. "Ever!" he said. "We want it to be infinite!"
But alas, it did end. And Olympic breaking is probably not far behind. No matter the television ratings or social-media reviews, the sport will probably be one-and-done at the Summer Games. But at least it made a splash.
Contributing: Chris Bumbaca
Contact Tom Schad at [email protected] or on social media @Tom_Schad.
veryGood! (45935)
Related
- 'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
- Activists Are Suing Texas Over Its Plan to Expand Interstate 35, Saying the Project Is Bad for Environmental Justice and the Climate
- Inflation eases to its lowest in over two years, but it's still running a bit high
- A Timber Mill Below Mount Shasta Gave Rise to a Historic Black Community, and Likely Sparked the Wildfire That Destroyed It
- NFL Week 15 picks straight up and against spread: Bills, Lions put No. 1 seed hopes on line
- Biden Administration Quietly Approves Huge Oil Export Project Despite Climate Rhetoric
- Legacy admissions, the Russian Ruble and Final Fantasy XVI
- Amid Rising Emissions, Could Congressional Republicans Help the US Reach Its Climate Targets?
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- Who Were the Worst Climate Polluters in the US in 2021?
Ranking
- North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
- Environmental Advocates Call on Gov.-Elect Wes Moore to Roll Back State Funding for Fossil Fuel Industry
- With Fossil Fuel Companies Facing Pressure to Reduce Carbon Emissions, Private Equity Is Buying Up Their Aging Oil, Gas and Coal Assets
- Inside Clean Energy: The Idea of 100 Percent Renewable Energy Is Once Again Having a Moment
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- Soaring West Virginia Electricity Prices Trigger Standoff Over the State’s Devotion to Coal Power
- The Indicator Quiz: Jobs and Employment
- Amazon Prime Day 2023: Fashion Deals Under $50 From Levi's, New Balance, The Drop & More
Recommendation
The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
Surfer Mikala Jones Dead at 44 After Surfing Accident
How a New ‘Battery Data Genome’ Project Will Use Vast Amounts of Information to Build Better EVs
He had a plane to himself after an 18-hour delay. What happened next was a wild ride
Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
Countries Want to Plant Trees to Offset Their Carbon Emissions, but There Isn’t Enough Land on Earth to Grow Them
I'm a Shopping Editor, Here's What I'm Buying During Amazon Prime Day 2023
Meta's Threads wants to become a 'friendly' place by downgrading news and politics