Olympics Break Dancing - lovin' it

[LuvOrlando]

I am so thoroughly enjoying the Break Dancing in the Olympics, I think the last time I was so taken was with Curling.

Anyone else?

What is your favorite?

They have done a really good job this year, so far, no jinx

 

[CarolynFH]

We enjoyed the breaking competition too. Amazing athleticism! I’m afraid it was detrimental to our impression of the women’s gymnastics competition that followed the men’s breaking in the morning.

 

[BrianL]

I thought it was great!

 

[mort1331]

Go Canada

 

[LuvOrlando]

FYI list of athletes searchable by sport

https://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes?sport=breaking

 

[CarolynFH]

The young man who won bronze for USA lives in Kissimmee, BTW.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I’m not “up” on the dance form/sport but it’s clear it’s not for the faint of heart. Really need to feel that music in your being.

DGD sent this to me recently. Dancer is not competing but she’s serious!

D Soraki isn’t in the Olympics either ( I wonder why?) but I just adore his “Snoopy dance” as I call it

Ahh very young….you’re only dancing on this earth for a short time…

 

[georgina]

Enjoyed it very much. Sad it won't be back in 2028 in LA. If things like surfing, rhythmic gymnastics and synchronized swimming are included, I do not see why this shouldn't be. The athleticism was great.

Loved the young Lithuanian woman Nicka. And Ukraine.

 

[georgina]

Ahh very young….you’re only dancing on this earth for a short time…

Oh very young
What will you leave us this time
There'll never be a better chance to change your mind
And if you want this world to see a better day
Will you carry the words of love with you
Will you ride the great white bird in together
And though you want to last forever
You know you never will

Very appropriate for the Olympics. So many of the competitors have been supportive of each other.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Enjoyed it very much. Sad it won't be back in 2028 in LA. If things like surfing, rhythmic gymnastics and synchronized swimming are included, I do not see why this shouldn't be. The athleticism was great.

Loved the young Lithuanian woman Nicka. And Ukraine.

What? Noooo To get rid of it would be to diminish it as a sideshow, a slap in the face to street kids who brought it into existence. I remember when it popped up out of The Bronx and spread like wildfire, it was like nothing else with kids opening up boxes in the street to get rid of traction and the cheap parachute pants to increase spin.... sigh... this could be more awful than it never happening

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

What? Noooo To get rid of it would be to diminish it as a sideshow, a slap in the face to street kids who brought it into existence. I remember when it popped up out of The Bronx and spread like wildfire, it was like nothing else with kids opening up boxes in the street to get rid of traction and the cheap parachute pants to increase spin.... sigh... this could be more awful than it never happening

It's typically decided years in advance.

Breakdancing for instance was added to the 2024 Olympics back in late 2020, softball and baseball were in the 2020 (held in 2021) Olympics but not in 2012 and that decision was made back in 2005 so very far in advance (this info is coming from a 2020 NPR article where they announced breakdancing). The submission of baseball and softball (among other sports) into the 2028 Olympics was approved back in October 2023.

It's also not a "gotten rid of" situation, at least by the definition of not being included meaning it will never be considered again. Baseball and softball hadn't been in the Olympics since 2008 and came back for the 2020 games.

The IOC uses new qualifications for sports that they started with the 2020 games where multiple sports were added. According to the Paris Olympics webpage for how a new sport is considered/added they say "With the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020 (adopted in December 2014), the process of establishing the Olympic programme changed to enhance the popularity of the Games while ensuring that the numbers of athletes, and the cost and complexity of the event, remain manageable. As part of this new process the Organising Committee of a specific edition of the Olympic Games may propose to the IOC the inclusion, for such edition only, of one or more additional events from the sports governed by the IOC Recognised IFs."

Also of note is that a host city can use their influence for a particular game to be included even if the decision still lies with the IOC. The reason baseball and softball are back is because "The Los Angeles 2028 Organizing Committee (LA28) proposed the sports as part of their policy to include games-specific sports to increase local interest and growth." which makes sense because these are popular in the U.S. Baseball is popular in Japan (although I don't know if that's why it was included in 2020 but it is incredibly popular in Japan).

 

[tvguy]

What? Noooo To get rid of it would be to diminish it as a sideshow, a slap in the face to street kids who brought it into existence. I remember when it popped up out of The Bronx and spread like wildfire, it was like nothing else with kids opening up boxes in the street to get rid of traction and the cheap parachute pants to increase spin.... sigh... this could be more awful than it never happening

Apparently it has been the International laughing stock competition of the Olympics. My daughter is 33 and her only comment has been that she thought break dancing died out 20 years ago.

 

[georgina]

Apparently it has been the International laughing stock competition of the Olympics. My daughter is 33 and her only comment has been that she thought break dancing died out 20 years ago.

Obviously she was wrong. It is still very much alive.

 

[tvguy]

Obviously she was wrong. It is still very much alive.

Well, not at the Olympics anymore.

 

[georgina]

Well, not at the Olympics anymore.

I have 3 kids ages 29-34. None of them would claim to be the arbitrer of worldwide culture. There were participants from the US and Canada, as well as China and Japan, France, Australia, Lithuania, Ukraine, probably more, that is only what I watched. Baseball wasn't at the Olympics this year, is baseball dead?

 

[Marrila]

I have 3 kids ages 29-34. None of them would claim to be the arbitrer of worldwide culture. There were participants from the US and Canada, as well as China and Japan, France, Australia, Lithuania, Ukraine, probably more, that is only what I watched. Baseball wasn't at the Olympics this year, is baseball dead?

Baseball and softball will be back at the LA Olympics in 2028.
Breakdancing will be out. Odd system. But I'm glad a couple of popular worldwide team sports are returning.

 

[tvguy]

I have 3 kids ages 29-34. None of them would claim to be the arbitrer of worldwide culture. There were participants from the US and Canada, as well as China and Japan, France, Australia, Lithuania, Ukraine, probably more, that is only what I watched. Baseball wasn't at the Olympics this year, is baseball dead?

ABC World News did a story tonight on changes for 2028. Apparently, according to this article, the issue with Baseball is with insurance. The good players are too valuable to risk getting hurt. https://apnews.com/article/2024-paris-olympics-2028-los-angeles-90d32cde812c93d2a48c726e653dfa9e

 

[NYCgrrl]

My daughter is 33 and her only comment has been that she thought break dancing died out 20 years ago.

It’s alive and very much kicking
nor is it exclusive to the US of A .
Like many art forms (which is how I view it) it has broken itself down into various styles and schools of thought as well as being firmly established within the worlds of visual, graphic and film media.

 

[tvguy]

It’s alive and very much kicking
nor is it exclusive to the US of A .
Like many art forms (which is how I view it) it has broken itself down into various styles and schools of thought as well as being firmly established within the worlds of visual, graphic and film media.

But not alive and kicking enough for the Olympics to bring it back.

 

[ronandannette]

Well, not at the Olympics anymore.

Tons of criticism this morning of cultural-appropriation by the non-black dancers (all over the news this morning). I imagine we won't see this even again and the IOC will just quietly pretend it never happened.

ABC World News did a story tonight on changes for 2028. Apparently, according to this article, the issue with Baseball is with insurance. The good players are too valuable to risk getting hurt. https://apnews.com/article/2024-paris-olympics-2028-los-angeles-90d32cde812c93d2a48c726e653dfa9e

Somehow the NBA and NHL players make it work. What's different about baseball? Or maybe it's time to give the team sports back to true amateur athletes instead of the professionals who are multi, multi million-dollar assets to their corporations?