History was made at the European Games 2023 as B Boy Dany and B Girl India became the first athletes to qualify for breaking at the Olympic Games.
Breaking will make its Olympic debut at Paris 2024 and is one of four sports on the Krakow-Malopolska programme that offers direct qualifying spots for athletes to next summer’s Games.
In front of a packed and lively crowd in Nowy Sącz, B Boy Dany from France and the Netherlands’ B Girl India’s impressive routines drew roars from the fans and earned them a spot in Olympics history.
European Olympic Committees President Spyros Capralos hailed it as not only a prestigious moment for the sport, but also for the European Games in just the third edition of Europe’s largest multi-sport event.
President Capralos said: “Congratulations to both the athletes for fulfilling their dreams and also to the World Dance Sport Federation as the first qualifiers for Paris 2024 are confirmed here in Poland.
“It is an honour for the European Games to be a part of Olympic Games history just eight years after our first edition in Baku in 2015. Breaking is a new and exciting sport for the Games and we saw the reaction of the crowd to the performances from the athletes in the finals – I am sure it will be a popular event in Paris.
“The Olympic Movement must continue to innovate to attract new generations and to ensure we are able to promote the Olympic values across the world. The EOC always have this at the forefront of our minds and by having breaking on our programme, we are playing our part.”
After booking her spot at the Olympics, B Girl India could hardly believe she was heading to Paris, and the 17-year-old spoke about the impact the Games will have on the sport.
She said: “To know I have a straight ticket to the Olympics is crazy to believe. It is the first time breaking is in the Olympics. It is a great opportunity for breaking.
“A lot of people don’t know breaking or maybe see it as a joke, but it is so much more than that. It is our life, we do it every day and we work hard for it.
“When I won I was crying because I was so happy. Before the final I almost cried because I had so many emotions. A lot of people do not know how intense it is.
“It is a sport but it also a culture, it is an art form. It is so beautiful to have that at the Olympics and people can enjoy what we all enjoy.”
