Break dancing, or breaking, as it’s known as, will make its Olympic debut in Paris and could be
the event that steals the show at the Summer Games. Breaking can be traced back to the late
1970s, and became an international competition in the 1990s. The men’s competition will take
place August 9th and 10th with 16 competitors battling for three medals. Here’s a look at some
of the favorites, and perhaps a sleeper pick.
The Favorites
B-Boy Victor – Victor Montalvo (USA) +115
He’s considered the best breakdancer in the world and grew up in a family where his dad was
also a B-boy. Victor Montalvo won gold at last year’s WDSF World Championships and is the
odds on favorite in Paris. He’s 30 now, but won his first world championship at age 21 and then
a second one in 2022. B-boy Victor should be on the podium, but which color will he get?
B-Boy Phil Wizard – Philip Kim (CAN) +225
B-boy Phil Wizard and Victor have alternated world championships and are a real threat to the
American. Phillip Kim won gold at the Pan American Games in Santiago last November. He
also won the world title for the 2022 WDSF championships and was runner up at the 2021 and
2023 World Championships.
B-Boy Shigekix – Shigeyuki Nakarai (JPN) +550
B-boy Shigekix was named as a co-flag bearer for Japan at the Opening Ceremonies as he
chases gold in Paris. The 22-year old is considered a rising star in the sport and has gone head
to head against Phil and Victor. Nakarai finished third at the World Championships last year,
behind the two favorites but won gold at the Asian Games that year. Another breaker who
should be on the podium, but in what position.
Longshot Spin
B-Boy Jeffro - Jeffrey Mike Louis (USA) +1800
While Victor is the American star, B-boy Jeffro could be a sleeper pick. He has a long list of
hardware including winning big regional events in 2022 along with a silver medal at the World
Games. At these odds, a small sprinkle wouldn’t be a bad thing.
How Scoring Works
Nine judges will score competitors on six different criteria:
1) Creativity
2) Personality
3) Technique
4) Variety
5) Performativity
6) Musicality
60% of the overall score will be Creativity and performativity while 40% will be made up of the
other criteria.
Men's Breaking B-Boys Odds
B-Boy Victor - Victor Montalvo (USA) +115
B-Boy Phil Wizard - Philip Kim (CAN) +225
B-Boy Shigekix - Shigeyuki Nakarai (JPN) +550
B-Boy Lee - Lee-Lou Diouf Demierre (NED) +1000
B-Boy Dany - Danis Civil (FRA) +1000
B-Boy Lithe-ing - Xiangyu Qi (CHN) +1600
B-Boy Jeffro - Jeffrey Mike Louis (USA) +1800
B-Boy Amir - Amir Zakirov (KAZ) +2000