Breaking Excluded from LA28 Olympics: WDSF's Commitment to Future Inclusion 10/10/2023

Dear WDSF Members,
Dear colleagues,
Dear friends,

The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) received the unfavourable news. The organisers of the Los Angeles Olympic Games will not be proposing Breaking for inclusion on the sports programme for their edition of the Games. The LA28 organizing committee instead prioritized a selection of sports composing a package that, in its entirety, aligns best with the LA28 vision, a decision that must now be ratified by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the IOC Session in Mumbai, India from 15-17 October.

All of us at the WDSF are profoundly disappointed with this outcome. We worked relentlessly over many months to present a powerful and passionate proposal that detailed all the many advantages Breaking as a DanceSport discipline bring to the Olympic Movement and Olympic Games.

Ensuring the success of Breaking’s Olympic debut at Paris 2024 is therefore on the forefront of the WDSF agenda. Our performance in Paris will define the future of DanceSport within the Olympic Movement, and it is imperative that we must work together to do everything within our power to exceed expectations next summer on the Place de la Concorde.

By doing so, we will demonstrate on the dance floor that Breaking, a sport popular among youths from diverse backgrounds, and a sport rooted in beautiful values such as inclusivity, is a perfect fit for the Olympic Games.

Importantly, Breaking remains on the programme for next summer’s Olympic Games Paris 2024 and we are also still very much in the running for the Olympic Games Brisbane 2032 and future editions of the Games. Our campaign to be added to Brisbane 2032 has already begun and is being ably led by our 1st Vice President and resident Australian Tony Tilenni. Initial reactions from all participants to the Breaking presentations, including Brisbane officials at the Australian Olympic Committee’s one year to go to Paris 2024 celebrations, have been highly optimistic about our chances of being added to these Games.

The WDSF is also preparing for Breaking’s second appearance at the Youth Olympic Games, scheduled to take place in Dakar, Senegal in 2026. We continue to be an important part of other elite Olympic Movement multisport events as well, including the World Games, the World Urban Games, the Asian Games, the European Games, the Pan American Games, and many more.

As the global governing body for all DanceSport disciplines worldwide, the WDSF remains fully committed to growing the sport of Breaking globally and developing our Breaking Division to ensure that Breaking is “Games-ready” as part of our duties as an IOC-recognized International Federation. On this note, I am pleased to tell you that we are in the final stages of negotiations with the host city for our 2024 World Youth Breaking Championships. We look forward to announcing the host soon, and we are confident that all elite young Breakers around the world will be eager to take part in the competition en route to the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026.

With Paris 2024 rapidly approaching, we encourage each of our NMBs to continue strengthening your relationships with Breaking communities in your countries to ensure that every athlete has the appropriate opportunities to grow and excel in Breaking under the stewardship of the WDSF. Though the news of LA28 is disappointing, I believe that Breakers around the world need not give up hope on the Olympic dream. This is very much alive and will be fortified with a strong debut at Paris 2024 – something I am confident that we are capable of achieving with our continued teamwork with enthusiasm, passion, and unity.

In closing, I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported our bid for inclusion at LA28. We are extremely fortunate to have such strong support from so many around the world, and the encouragement and input we received have been very much appreciated.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the WDSF.

Shawn Tay,
WDSF President