Rachael “Raygun” Gunn was the viral Olympic breaker that captured the internet’s attention. She did poorly compared to other breakers in the competition, losing all three round-robin battles with a score of zero. She made strange, lackluster moves, including the 1970s sprinkler and kangaroo-style-hopping. Her bizarre performance brought worldwide attention to the breakdancing community.
Does Breakdancing Belong in the Olympics?
France added breaking to this year’s Olympics, which has caused some backlash within the athletic community and beyond. Many people wondered: is this an actual sport? Breaking made its first feature in the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires and had never been in an actual Olympic Games competition until this year.
What is Breakdancing?
Breakdancing is a form of dance that involves flow and freedom, using artistic footwork and acrobatic movements. Dancers have dance-offs in one-on-one battles.
In the Olympic Games, competitors are judged on their musicality, personality, and versatility worth 40% of the score. Creativity, technique, and performance skills are worth the other 60%.
This leads to the question, does breaking deserve a spot in the Olympics? One side of the story is that this is a great way for young talents to express themselves to the world.
Phenomenon Jeff “J-Attack” Dunne, at the age of 16, won gold at the Oceania Breaking Competition. This win secured his place in the 2024 Olympics where he showed his skills as a representative for Australia. Although he lost to Wizard, who went on to get first place, he competed at one of the highest levels and exposed his talent to the world.
The other side of the argument is that the Olympics isn’t representing the culture behind the dance. Breaking’s roots go back to the Bronx in the 1970s. With the mix of 70s hip-hop and African American traditions, late-night block parties sparked the merge of these genres into breaking which transformed the global dance scene.
The art of the dance is that there are no restrictions, yet the only way to fit it into the competition was to constrain it under certain criteria.
Breaking fans are insulted by the rigid structure of the competition. The International Olympic Committee is trying to appeal to younger viewers but is watering down the sport’s significance.
What do Huskies Think?
Students at Edmond North have differing opinions about the topic.
Junior Andrew Ocampo agrees that breaking should be in the Olympics. “I think it’s similar to gymnastics because it is all about form and how the judges grade their performance.”
However, another student sees the situation in a different light. Junior Jesse Moyer says that breakdancing is “not necessary in the Olympics.” He went on to say that he does not find breakdancing interesting in the slightest and admitted he has never watched the sport.
An International Olympic Committee spokesperson has said that breakdancing will not reappear at the 2028 Summer Olympics, but that does not mean the debate is over.
So for anyone interested in competing on a global scale, tap into your arsenal of 70s dance moves and sign up next time breaking rolls into the Olympics.
