Was Breakdancing At The Olympics Just A Passing Fad?

Breakdancing made its debut at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, captivating a global audience with its inclusion. Despite the mixed reactions from fans and non-fans of this hip-hop originated dance form, the sport will not be featured in the 2028 Olympics. This decision is one of several changes anticipated in the next Olympic cycle.

As reported by NBC News, the upcoming 2028 Olympics will present some notable changes as athletes from around the globe converge once more. The 2028 Games, set to take place in Los Angeles, mark the first time the event will be held on U.S. soil since the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Breakdancing, which enjoyed a spotlight in Paris, is notably absent from the 2028 event schedule.

The decision to exclude breakdancing was made by the LA28 organizing committee, as confirmed by the World DanceSport Federation. Since the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the practice has been for the hosting nation to propose new sports for inclusion in their respective games year. This protocol was established by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the global governing body of the Olympics. Paris included breakdancing in the scheduled events, but Los Angeles has chosen a different route by adding baseball-softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse, and squash for 2028.

“It’s up to each local organizing committee to determine which [additional] sports to put forward that fit with their vision of the Games,” explained IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell. “Obviously, Breaking fits very clearly with Paris’ vision of a very youth-focused urban engagement.”

There remains hope for breakdancing’s return to the Olympic stage when the Games are next held in Brisbane, Australia, in 2032. Perhaps the inclusion of various new sports in Los Angeles will pave the way for the hip-hop art form to make a comeback in the future Olympic cycle.