Breakdancing is set to make its debut as an Olympic sport at Paris 2024, the head of the local Organising Committee said on Thursday. Also Skateboarding, Sport Climbing and Surfing, which have already been added to the programme for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, have been invited to return in Paris four years later. All the four sports are sports from a member federation of the International World Games Association.
The organiser’s proposal will be officially presented to the IOC Executive Board at a meeting beginning March 26 before the full IOC membership votes on the recommendation at a Session at the end of June. The IOC will wait until December 2020, after the Tokyo Games, before confirming the four new inclusions.
Tony Estanguet, the head of the Paris 2024 organising committee and a former Olympic gold medallist in canoeing, said the inclusion of the four sports responded to a need to make the Olympics "more urban" and "more artistic".
"This is why we have chosen to present the IOC with four sports that are as creative as spectacular, geared towards youth and completely in line with our vision.”
"It is an incredible honour and privilege that, for the first time, a dance discipline is being considered for inclusion in the Olympic Games. It is a humbling experience for all members and supporters of DanceSport," said Shawn Tay, the president of the World DanceSport Federation.
The World Games is a multi-sport event staged every four years by the International World Games Association under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee. The 11th edition of The World Games will be held in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, 15-25 July 2021. 3,600 athletes from over 30 sports and 100 countries will take part in the Games.