DanceSport celebrates Olympic debut in Buenos Aires

On the same day that the World Championship Latin opened in Ostrava, Czech Republic, the third edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG) got underway on the other side of the world with a dance-filled Opening Ceremony at the Obelisco de Buenos Aires at the heart of the Argentinian capital.

For the first time in history, DanceSport will be on the official programme of an Olympic event, with the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games featuring four days of Breaking competition organised by the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF).

It is a dream come true for the 24 selected b-boys and b-girls, whose YOG journey started with an online qualification process last year.

Breaking was not the only DanceSport to appear during the Opening Ceremony. Tango, of course, also featured prominently along with a number of other disciplines throughout the one-and-a-half-hour production.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach addressed a massive crowd that included athletes, heads of state, and members of the general public.

“We all come from different parts of the world and have different cultures but we are all united by the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect,” the 1976 Montreal Olympic gold-medal-winning fencer said. “Guided by these Olympic values, each one of you [athletes] makes a difference in sport and in life. And this experience will stay with you for all your life.”
Argentinian President Mauricio Macri officially opened the Games ahead of the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.

Also attending the Opening Ceremony were WDSF President Lukas Hinder, WDSF CEO Shawn Tay, and several representatives from various WDSF National Member Bodies, making this a historical moment in the Federation’s history.

The YOG will run from 6-18 October and feature 4,000 athletes between the ages of 15 and 18 from more than 200 National Olympic Committees (NOCs). They will participate in 239 events in 32 sports and 36 disciplines.

For the first time in Olympic history, the number of female and male athletes competing will be the same. Alongside DanceSport, three other sports are making their debuts on the Olympic stage: Roller Sports, Karate and Sport Climbing. New disciplines and events are also joining the programme, including Kiteboarding, Beach Handball, BMX Freestyle and Acrobatic Gymnastics.
In Buenos Aires, the b-boys and b-girls will compete in 1vs1 battles on 7 and 8 October, with 2vs2 mixed-gender battles taking place on 10 and 11 October. Click here for the full schedule. You can follow the final three days of competitions live on www.breakingforgold.com or on www.olympicchannel.com.

The sports at the YOG will be spread across four parks to ensure the entire city can enjoy the action. The Breaking events will take place in the Urban Park, while DanceSport initiation sessions in Folklore, Tango, Standard and Latin will be held for the public throughout the Games in all parks.

Newer Older

By Pedro Toro on 07 October 2018 01:57