The Paris Olympics concluded on Sunday with a spectacular closing ceremony that featured lots of pomp and circumstance and a high-flying daredevil act by actor Tom Cruise. The Hollywood legend performed a stunt to commemorate the handover of Olympic duties to Los Angeles, the location of the 2028 Summer Olympics. While Los Angeles will feature the world’s greatest athletes competing in a variety of sports, one of those will not be breaking.
The inclusion of the dance competition in the Paris Games was controversial, with many saying it had no place in the Olympics. Videos of the dancers went viral, including one particular routine from Australian breaking competitor Rachael Gunn, who competed under the name Raygun. Canada and Japan won gold medals in the event, France and Lithuania won silver medals, and the United States and China won bronze.
Gunn’s performance led to worldwide ridicule for her dance moves on social media. Despite the widespread criticism of her performance, Gunn won over the hearts of many, even those who mocked her performance, and she became an overnight sensation. Nevertheless, breaking will not be in the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Breaking was added to the Paris Games to attract younger viewers. Its presence on the list of sports was made possible by a rule that permitted local organizers from each city to include additional sports, according to reports. However, breaking is not included among the sports featured in the 2028 Olympics. This has nothing to do with the 2024 Olympics because the choice was already made several years ago.
Just as the organizers of the Paris Games could choose different sports, so did organizers in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles committee opted for cricket, squash, lacrosse, baseball, softball, and flag football for the 2028 Olympics.
Ami Yuasa, known as B-Girl Ami in the breaking competition, won a gold medal for Japan. She expressed disappointment that breaking will not be included in 2028.
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“I feel so sad about it not happening in Los Angeles because breaking was born in the USA,” Yuasa said. “Breaking is not just a sport. It’s also expressing myself and art.”
It is unknown whether breaking will return to the Olympics in the future. Australia will host the 2032 Summer Olympics, and it could opt to include breaking if the committee selects it as one of the additional sports.
