Olympics 2028
Breaking, or breakdancing, made its premiere in Paris; it’s unclear if LA will follow suit.
With the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris coming to an end, curiosity regarding which sports will compete at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles lingers.
Breaking, popularly referred to as breakdancing, made its Olympic début in Paris and made a big impact. The majority of the excitement was created by Vancouver’s Philip Kim, also known as Phil Wizard, who won gold after decisively defeating host nation favorite Danis Civil (Dany Dann) of France in his final match.
But Australian B-girl Rachael “Raygun” Gunn, who had less-than-stellar moves, went viral very fast, especially among non-Olympic fans.
Throughout the course of three round-robin matches, the 36-year-old college professor demonstrated a variety of body contortions while lying or crawling on the floor, including a kangaroo hop and a reverse roll.
“Don’t be afraid to be different, go out there and represent yourself, you never know where that’s gonna take you,” Raygun wrote on Instagram following her Friday performance.
Yuasa, also known as B-girl Ami, was disappointed because the organizers of Los Angeles made decisions without first witnessing the excitement between the athletes and the Place de la Concorde crowd in Paris. Yuasa won the gold medal in the women’s category.
She told The Associated Press on Sunday, “I feel so sad about it not happening in Los Angeles because breaking was born in the U.S.A.” “Breaking is a form of art and self-expression as well as a sport.”
At a press conference on Sunday, World DanceSport Federation president Shawn Tay shared this opinion, stating that it’s regrettable that Los Angeles didn’t get to experience the thrill of breaking in Paris before making its decision.
Tay remarked, “As you can see, the last two days were really exciting and nearly mind-blowing for those watching.” “Sports enjoyment is more important than just physical prowess; spectators may relate to it through their eyes and ears. The past two days saw a lot of crowd participation.
Zack Slusser, vice-president of Breaking for Gold USA and USA Dance, told reporters that while Breaking might make a comeback for the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane, Australia, he believes it is doubtful. He told NBC, “It was a miracle that we were in Paris at all.”
The LA28 Organizing Committee suggested five sports as a package for the L.A. Games exclusively, according to Olympic officials. The Executive Board and Program Commission of the International Olympic Committee evaluated and approved each sport.
Two new sports, flag football and squash, will be added to the Games. In addition, after years or decades away, baseball, softball, cricket (Twenty20), and lacrosse (Sixes) will return to the Olympics, giving room for innovation, even if it doesn’t make it to Australia or Los Angeles.
The new sports were intended to “ignite imagination on the field of play and drive culture off it,” according to LA28 Chairperson Casey Wasserman.
“They will further enhance LA28’s goal to provide an unmatched experience by bringing in new athletes, interacting with a wide range of fan bases, and growing the Games’ online presence.”
