The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has added breakdancing, or breaking, and three other sporting disciplines to the Olympic schedule for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The Bahamas Olympic Committee (BOC) has embraced those four new additions. The announcement was made this past Monday by the IOC President Thomas Bach.
The four new sports that were officially added to the calendar are breakdancing, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing. The latter three will make their debut at the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, which is now set for July 23 to August 8, 2021.
BOC President Romell “Fish” Knowles said that the sports are a welcomed addition to the program.
“These sports were added to make the games more urban, artistic, diverse, gender-balanced and youthful to attract and lure a younger audience. I suspect, that it is only a matter of time before these sports get on a local, regional, international program, meaning more scholarship opportunities for our young Bahamians. I think we can qualify athletes in all of the events,” Knowles said.
Knowles is looking forward to seeing the local breaking community take full advantage of the opportunity to showcase The Bahamas. He also look forward to seeing Bahamians take part in the other three sports as well.
“Can you imagine our breakdancers rolling up in the Paris Games in 2024
breakdancing to the sound of melodious Junkanoo music? I will tell you, the Olympic Games will never be the same again. That Junkanoo music will set Paris on fire. The young people will say Paris will be ‘lit’. Yes, I believe that the addition of these four sports is a complement to the program and will showcase the young talent that we have here in The Bahamas. I hope very shortly to see them beginning their trek to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games,” Knowles stated.
The 2024 Olympics is tentatively set for July 26 to August 11, 2024, in Paris, France.
Breaking was proposed by the organizers of the 2024 Paris Games in 2019. In 2018, the sport was at the center of positive trials at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Last year, the sport further passed approval by the IOC.
A location has also been chosen for breaking at the 2024 Paris Games – the Place de le Concorde in Downtown Paris. It will also be the location for the 3-on-3 basketball competition and sport climbing.
A slate of 329 medal events in Paris is 10 fewer than what will be at the Tokyo Olympics. The athlete quota of 10,500 in 2024 is about 600 less than what it is in Tokyo.
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source https://thenassauguardian.com/boc-embraces-new-sports-on-the-olympic-program/
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