What is breaking? Rules, moves and scoring for new Paris Olympics 2024 sport

THERE is just ONE new sport at the Olympics this summer and it is breaking. 

Breaking featured at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics and got the backing from the IOC for Paris 2024 as part of the drive to engage a younger audience to the Games. 

AFPBreaking is making its Olympics debut at Paris 2024[/caption]

AFPDancers will face off in one-v-one battles to crown the gold medalist[/caption]

AlamyAthletes must strike a balance between planned routines and spontaneous improvisation[/caption]

Fans watching will no doubt be gripped, amazed, perplexed and astonished in equal measure by what the 32 athletes produce on stage.

SunSport runs you through what breaking is, how it works and what to look out for…

What is breaking?

Breaking is an urban dance style that started in the US during the 1970s with roots in hip-hop culture. 

In the Olympics, two breakers go up against each other in epic one-v-one battles. 

They take it in turns to dance and use a combination of moves to music. 

The athletes do not know the music before the battle begins – forcing them to strike a balance between planned routines and spontaneous improvisation. 

Team GB star Kid Karam told SunSport: “The first thing that always comes to mind for me is fireworks. It’s going to be so refreshing for people to see. 

“In breaking there are a lot of different things, different parts. The easiest way to explain it is that it is a very dynamic, urban, street culture which is now a sport.

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“Some people will go A to Z on complete sets and know what they are doing the whole way through. Some people like to completely freestyle. It depends on different styles.

“For me personally, I like to have a mix of both. I like to have certain mini combos which I’ll start with then freestyle around it and hit another good way to finish – you want to start well and finish well. 

“Because you don’t know the music, you also don’t know what your opponent is going to do 99 per cent of the time, you have to have an openness to be able to create in that moment.”

How is it judged?

Nine judges watch the battles on stage and then use the Trivium System to determine the winner. 

The Trivium System focus on three key areas:

Body – this is the physical aspect and incorporates the execution and the flow of the dance by the breakers

Soul – this is the interpretation aspect, how the breakers interpret the music, the competition, the specific battle, the room and how they display their character and bounce off the energy

Mind – this is the artistic aspect, taking into consideration the creativity of the breakers

The judges give scores to each breaker for each round. The breaker who wins more rounds wins – or if it is a tie, it will come down to the number of points.

What are the key moves of breaking and how is it judged?

THERE are five key fundamentals to look out for from the breakers at the Paris 2024 Olympics:

TOP ROCK

This is stand-up dancing, routines always start with this and feature cross-step and Salsa step.

FOOTWORK

When breakers are down on all fours from a low squat position, doing footwork patterns and steps including hooks and kicks.

GO DOWNS

This is the transition from Top Rock to Footwork, including the Knee Switch and Rock Drop.

FREEZES

Where breakers hold a position or pose during a routine, acting as a pause or ‘comma’ before going again – from the simple to the extraordinary.

POWER MOVES

These are the big wow moves, the ultimate crowd-pleasers, the impressive show-stoppers: flicks, tricks, headspins, air flares, munchmills or windmills.

B-Boys and B-Girls are judged on three categories…

Body – this is the physical aspect and incorporates the execution and the flow of the dance by the breakers
Soul – this is the interpretation aspect, how the breakers interpret the music, the competition, the specific battle, the room and how they display their character and bounce off the energy
Mind – this is the artistic aspect, taking into consideration the creativity of the breakers

What are misbehaviours?

Misbehaviours are things like touching or throwing offensive signs. The battles can get heated but it’s fine margins – athletes do not want to risk being scored down. 

There are unwritten rules like don’t repeat the same moves or copy other people’s moves. Breakers need to stay clean – if they crash or mess up they’ll also get marked down.

What is the format at Paris 2024?

There are two events at Paris 2024 – one for the men, or B-Boys, and one for the women, the B-Girls.

Just 16 athletes qualify for each and they are split into four round-robin groups of four.

They all face the other three in the group with the top two going through to the knockout stages – where there will be four quarter-finals, two semi-finals and the final. 

For the group stages, it will be two-round competitions. That means the athletes alternate with two routines each, with a winner in the first round and second round and the points votes determining the winner if it finishes 1-1. 

In the quarter-finals and semis, it’s best of three – or first to two rounds – then the final is three rounds each.

APJudges use the Trivium System to score athletes on body, mind and soul[/caption]

AFPThere are two events each with 16 breakers – the B-Boys and the B-Girls[/caption]

Simon Jacobs/PinPepPower moves are the big, impressive show-stoppers[/caption]

Nine judges mark the athletes to choose the winnerSimon Jacobs/PinPep

Simon Jacobs/PinPepFreezes are pauses during routines that act like commas in a sentence[/caption]

AFPAthletes can get marked down for misbehaviours[/caption]

SunSportKaram gave SunSport a lesson in breaking beside Tower Bridge in London[/caption]

SunSportSunSport gave the big power moves a go – although the success was questionable[/caption]