Breaking to feature at 2023 European Games
The European Olympic Committees (EOC) and the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) are pleased to announce that Breaking has been added to the sports programme for the 2023 European Games in Krakow-Malopolska, Poland.
In total, 32 Breakers (16 b-girls and 16 b-boys) will compete in 1vs1 battles for gold, silver and bronze medals.
Breaking is set to make its Olympic debut at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 after being officially included in the Olympic sports programme by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in December 2020. It’s inclusion at the 2023 European Games will be the perfect springboard for Europe’s best b-boys and b-girls attempting to qualify for Paris.
“Being part of the European Games, which are a gateway to the Olympic Games a year later, should come as excellent news for Europe’s best b-boys and b-girls,” said WDSF President Shawn Tay. “To get a real taste of the Olympic experience so close to Paris 2024 will be invaluable to the 32 athletes who qualify. We are confident that Breaking will bring much added value to the European Games’ programme and will be a big hit with the public in Poland.”
The worldwide appeal and growth of Breaking has resulted in the discipline being added to a number of high-profile multisports events, including the Youth Olympic Games, World Games, World Urban Games, the Asian Games and now the European Games.
“We are delighted to welcome Breaking on board for its first European Games appearance,” said Hasan Arat, EOC Coordination Commission Chair for Krakow-Malopolska. “Our sports programme will be the biggest and by far the most diverse in the history of our Games, and Breaking will bring a young, dynamic and urban dimension. With Breaking’s Olympic debut set for 2024, it will also be the perfect platform on which the athletes can prepare for Paris in a similar Olympic environment.”
The European Games are the continent’s premier multisport event for elite athletes and are held every four years. Krakow-Malopolska 2023 will be the third edition, following the inaugural edition in Baku, Azerbaijan in 2015 and the second edition in Minsk, Belarus in 2019.
Breaking joins 3×3 basketball, archery, badminton, beach handball, beach soccer, boxing, canoe, cycling, judo, karate, modern pentathlon, muaythai, kick boxing, padel, shooting, ski jumping, sports climbing, table tennis, taekwondo, teqball and triathlon, as sports already on the 2023 European Games programme, with more sports set to follow.