After the formalization of breaking inside of the grid for the next Pan American Games, making its debut in the biggest multisport event of the continent, the enthusiasm of the followers is increasing, and to this excitement, another new was added: At Santiago 2023 we will get to know the first Olympic breakers of history.
That's how the technical delegate of this discipline confirmed it, the portuguese Max Oliveira, who was in the country coordinating technical and operational details of his discipline, that will be definitely happening at the Gimnasio Chimkowe (which meaning is “meeting point”, as the slogan for the games), in the district of Peñalolén.
“There will be two quotas for Paris 2024: a b-boy and a b-girl, and the history of international sports will be made here in Chile. It will be something timeless, and they will have the privilege, pleasure, honor; of being the first ever qualifiers. We need to imagine that, if the sport continues to grow, there are serious possibilities of being a definitive Olympic modality.” he said.
Oliveira, known as ‘Max Momentum’ in the world of street dancing, has a prolific career as a dancer, with a background that scores, together with his crew, ten european titles and seven international. “At the age of 18 I got to know breaking, even though I have been dancing since I was a child, and it happened by chance in Madrid, Spain: where I was studying business administration and management, there I fell in love until today,” he remembered.
THE ROAD TO SANTIAGO 2023
At the Pan American Games, there will be a quota for 32 athletes: 16 males and 16 females, that can qualify in two different ways. The first one will be the specific Pan American that will take place during the first semester of next year, probably also in Santiago and that will be four quotas per gender. And the rest will obtain their ticket through the World Dance Sport Federation (WDSF) ranking the entity that rules the discipline internationally, that in Chile will be represented by the Sports Dance National Federation.
About the strongest countries of the continent, Oliveira commented that “Is very balanced, because the countries only bring one or two representatives and can be on the same level, but there are countries like the United States, Brazil, Venezuela and Colombia, that prevail not only because of quantity, but also because of quality”.
“A SPORT OF THE CURRENT CENTURY”
“I believe that breaking was never imagined as culture and between practitioners to be on an olympic lever, we talked about it, maybe we dreamed it; but it happened naturally and not by imposition or endeavor,” highlights the current b-boy, that dares to give an explanation of the importance of this modality in the world. Additionally from the Americas, it is popular in Europe and Asia, with Japan and South Korea as huge exponents.
“Is a sport of the current century, with 50 years of existence and is a contemporary language that charms the new generations, that will be the parents of the future ones, and since it attracts people naturally, it conquered the world of the sport like it also has a place in theaters,” he pointed out.
Breaking is about “battles” between the dancers or breakers, with routines that go from 30 to 60 seconds, which are evaluated by an experts jury based on technique, creativity and the way they dance. “To attract people, you need to understand what you see and those three components will allow the person to make their own evaluation,” Oliveira concluded.
IN SUMMARY
Sport: Breaking
Venue: Gimnasio Chimkowe, Peñalolén
Quota: 32 athletes, 16 b-boys and 16 b-girls.
How do they qualify for Santiago 2023?: Specific Pan American 2023 (8) and WDSF ranking (24).
Road to 2024: The gold medalists of each gender will qualify for the Olympic Games.
History: Debuting sport together with sport climbing and skateboarding.
