BREAKING for GOLD 07/04/2017

The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) prepares for Breaking to make its first appearance on the sports programme of the Youth Olympic Games. In a collaborative effort between WDSF and the members of the professional breaking community worldwide, a revolutionary qualification system is put in place for Buenos Aires 2018

On 6 December 2016, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) enlisted WDSF with the task of organising three Breaking events at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games (BAYOG).

Today, WDSF announces an innovative process of identifying the world’s best male and female breakers born in 2000, 2001 and 2002 – 12 of each gender. The Qualification System (below) is without precedent in Olympic sports, combining a global talent identification process on the digital field of play with the rigours of head-to-head qualifying battles at major breaking events held throughout the world.

Digital Qualification

In the first stage of qualifying for one of the 24 quota places the IOC has allocated to Breaking, each b-boy or b-girl will upload a one-minute, unedited breaking video of himself or herself to a dedicated online platform. Complying with basic rules that govern the format of the recording, registering themselves online – with parental consent in countries where it is required – and submitting documented proof that they were born between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2002, the b-boys/girls will take part in what could best be described as a digital evaluation process.

Extending over three months, this first stage of qualifying is open to all breakers – no restrictions other than age! In the true spirit of “show and prove,” participation does not require any licence, affiliation to an organisation, or the sanctioning by a National Olympic Committee (NOC). The confidence in one’s abilities as a breaker, a video camera or a smartphone, plus access to the Internet, are all that is needed to take this first step towards Buenos Aires 2018.

All videos uploaded to the platform between 1 May and 31 July 2017 will be screened by moderators before being made available for public viewing. Another innovative element of the process is that members of the public at large are invited to express their opinions on and their preferences for a pre-determined number of submissions. A temporary standing per country and per gender will be established based on the views expressed by the public. To conclude the process, beginning on 1 August 2017, a panel of professional judges from the international breaking scene will step in and assess all submissions, identifying the top five b-boys and top five b-girls per country. The breakers selected by the judges will then be able to continue on their personal “Road to Buenos Aires” and enter stage two of the qualifying. 

Regional Qualifiers and World Championship