Olympic Breaking Is All Over Our FYP — Here’s How Competitors Are Chosen

The Olympics brings the world’s greatest athletic talents to the same stage, creating an unique energy that’s based on equal parts competitive spirit and genuine admiration. And this year, a new sport is entering the international arena: breaking, commonly known as breakdancing, is the newest Olympic sport, after having been added to the Paris 2024 Games lineup in late 2020. Needless to say, the hype around the sport is real. But you may be wondering, how exactly is breaking scored? After all, it seems like most of the artistry involved in breaking is relatively subjective.

Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place. Ahead, your crash course in breaking, including how it’s scored, but also a brief overview of its origins and the format of the battles you’ll be seeing at the upcoming Paris 2024 Games.

What Is Breaking in the Olympics?

Breaking, also known as b-boying, b-girling, or breakdancing, is an acrobatic style of street dancing developed in the 1970s. The subculture of hip-hop was originally born in New York City (specifically the Bronx) and has deep roots in precise musicality, characterized by speedy footwork, gravity-defying balance, extreme flexibility, and superior strength.

Breaking practitioners are often known as b-boys, b-girls, or simply breakers, and many are self-taught.

When Was Breaking Added To the Olympics?

Breaking appeared at the 2018 Youth Olympics Games in Buenos Aires, and thanks to its wild success and popularity, it’s set to make its first medal debut at the summer Olympic Games at Paris 2024.

Being added to the Olympics can help establish a sport, as seen with skateboarding and surfing, both of which were added to the Olympics in 2021. Athletes may find it easier to find sponsorships or work professionally within their sport. No one should have to “prove” that breaking requires an impressive level of athleticism, but the truth is that dance is often undervalued, and inclusion in the Games may help bring it more attention and legitimacy. That said, breaking’s inclusion in the Games was met with some criticism by those who are concerned it could affect the dance’s authenticity.

How Will Breaking Be Scored?

Before we dive into how breaking is scored, it’s important to understand the breaking competition format.

Breaking Format

There will be separate competitions for men and women, and according to the official Olympics website, the 16 best b-boys and 17 best b-girls of the world will go up against each other in one-on-one solo battles.

In each battle, the dancers take alternate turns to perform their routines. Each turn is called a throw down and lasts one minute. When the first breaker finishes their throw down, their opponent immediately responds.

At Paris 2024, the breaking competition will consist of a pre-qualifier (just for the b-girls; because there are 17 competitors, the pre-qualifier will narrow the field down to an even 16), a round robin, and knock outs.

In the round robin, the athletes are split into four groups of four, and each athlete competes in three, two-round battles within their group. (Wondering who goes first? Dancers are randomly assigned to the “red” or “blue” side; blue athletes decide if they want to go first, or they want their red opponent to go first.)

Ultimately, the top two athletes from each group progress to quarter-finals and enter the knock outs. Knock-out battles consist of three rounds, and the athlete who wins the most wins the battle. The semi-finals and medal battles are also knock-out battles.

Breaking Scoring

As for the scoring: Each battle is performed in front of a panel of nine judges who score each breaker on six criteria: creativity, personality, technique, variety, performativity, and musicality. Technique, performativity, and creativity hold 60 percent of the scoring weight, with the other criteria accounting for the remaining 40 percent.

Important to note: unlike gymnastics or figure skating, breakers are not aware of the music ahead of time. As a result, improvisation carries a huge weight in judging, which is one reason breaking is so exciting and impressive to watch. That said, breaking moves can be categorized into three basic elements: top rock, down rock, and freeze. For more on what those mean, check out this guide to common breaking moves.

Judges submit their votes after each round, and the breaker with the highest number of points is declared the winner. But for non-winning athletes, the number of rounds won, the number of judges’ votes collected, and pre-competition seeding all factor into how they’re ultimately ranked.

If all that sounds a little confusing, rest assured: the breaking battles are sure to be thrilling to watch, even if you’re not fully briefed on the finer points of the format or scoring. Team USA is sending three b-boys and b-girls to Paris: Sunny Choi, Logan Edra, and Victor Montalvo. Whether you’re tuning in to cheer for them or any of the other athletes, it’s sure to be an event you won’t want to look away from.

Andi Breitowich is a Chicago-based freelance writer and graduate from Emory University and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Her work has appeared in PS, Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan, and elsewhere.