As the Paris Olympics get underway, the first dancing sport — breaking — will make its Olympic debut with a Latino star leading the charge.
Breaking, which started with Black and Latino youths during the 1970s hip-hop boom in New York City, is becoming the first of its kind sport at the Olympics. This inclusion is part of the Olympics' effort to attract younger viewers by adding street sports like skateboarding and climbing.
Mexican American b-boy Victor Montalvo, the current world champion, is spearheading the U.S. men's breaking team. Montalvo's passion for breaking was almost innate; his father practiced the hip-hop dance style in Puebla, Mexico, before migrating to Orlando, Florida, where Montalvo was born.
Montalvo shares that his family initially didn't support his breaking career until they saw he was genuinely making a career out of it. "I'm for sure gonna make it," Montalvo confidently stated to Telemundo earlier this month, as he aims for an Olympic medal when the breaking competition starts on August 9.
Schedule:
August 9: Women (B-Girl) Qualification and Final — 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
August 10: Men (B-Boy) Qualification and Final — 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Besides Montalvo, other Latin American athletes are also in the spotlight at these Olympics. Dominican American gymnast Hezly Rivera, the youngest member of the U.S. delegation at 16, will make her Olympic debut on Sunday. Brazilian Rebeca Andrade, a favorite in the vault event after her Tokyo 2020 gold, and Mexican Alexa Moreno, who placed 4th in Tokyo, are also expected to perform strongly.
Another group to watch is the Mexican women's artistic swimming team, competing from August 5. Despite financial challenges, their efforts have paid off with a world championship gold in May, beating China. The U.S. artistic swimming team also features Latino talent with Daniella Ramírez, of Venezuelan ancestry.
Several past champions from Latin America will be back this year. Puerto Rican hurdler Jasmine Camacho Quinn aims to defend her 100m gold medal from Tokyo. Colombian cyclist Mariana Pajón, the most successful women's BMX racer, and Guatemalan racewalker Erick Barrondo, who won the country's first Olympic medal in 2012, will also compete. Afro-Ecuadorian Neisi Dajomes, the first woman from her country to win gold in weightlifting, could potentially medal again, along with her younger sister Angie.
What we're watching: The Paralympics start on August 28, featuring notable Latino athletes like Nicky Nieves, a volleyball player of Puerto Rican heritage, and Mexican American Oz Sanchez, a six-time handcycling medalist.
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