Congratulations to Victor Montalvo from USA, aka B-Boy Victor, The World Games Athlete of the Month of January 2023.
The World Games Champion from 2022 in Breaking starts this year with every chance to qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, and to secure the gold medal on the debut of the discipline on the Olympic stage. The 28-year-old breaker already secured the gold medal at the Games in Birmingham, USA. Next stop: Paris 2024.
In the later part of last year, he won bronze at the WDSF Breaking World Championship in Seoul in October, after becoming the World Champion in 2021. Moreover, towards the end of last year he won the prestigious title of the Red Bull BC World One in New York. This was special for Victor, as it was the second time he has won the competition, becoming one of only five breakers to win this title more than once. His first Red Bull BC World One title came in Rome in 2015, when he was just 15 years old.
Victor is considered one of the greatest B-Boys of his generation. That does not come as a surprise. He comes from a family of breakers; the Breaking scene originated in New York (starting in the 1970s). His Mexican father was one of the founders of Breaking in his country. Victor’s father gathered with his friends in Puebla to watch VHS tapes of So Solid Crew and other breakers, and then they tried to emulate the moves.
When Victor was 10, he watched some Breaking on TV in his Florida home, and when his dad mentioned that was what he used to do, he got his dad to teach him some moves and found that he was a natural. He learnt far more from his father than moves and flips. In an interview with Red Bull, he said:
“My dad always told me, ‘Whatever you do, give it 100 per cent and be the best at it – even if you’re a janitor, just be the best janitor.’”
After his win at the Red Bull BC World One competition he stated:
“It feels amazing to represent the US and to bring the belt back home, in New York City, where it all started. I’m happy to be the one to do that.”
Right now he is one of the best breakers – if not the best. Victor has learnt to lead a very disciplined lifestyle to ensure that he has sufficient stamina for all his Breaking battles, and he has become a role model within the Breaking community.
The World Games is a multi-sport event staged every four years by the International World Games Association, organised with the support of the International Olympic Committee. The World Games 2022 was held in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, 7-17 July 2022. 3,600 athletes from 34 sports and 100 countries took part in the Games. The 12th edition of The World Games will be held in Chengdu, CHN in 2025.
