Sunny Choi’s fellow New Yorkers have made it quite clear that she is to return a gold medal to her native city of origin.
“I have no idea how frequently someone says something like, ‘You have no choice.'” The 35-year-old breaker, who was born in Tennessee but now resides in Queens, added, “Like, you’ve got to bring it home for New York.”
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Choi is one of four Team USA “b-boys” and “b-girls,” as the athletes are called. They all took delight in representing the origins of the sport, also known as breakdancing, during a press conference on Tuesday as it made its Summer Games debut.
“[We] try and pay respect to where we’re coming from, where this dance comes from, and want to put some of that shine back onto the community as we go onto this on the big stage,” Choi added.
Despite having its origins in 1960s New York, the sport has been played internationally since the 1990s, and it made its debut in the Youth Olympics Games in 2018. It is now reaching its greatest level as of 2024.
“We’re going to have all eyes on us, so I just want to make sure that everyone understands what this dance is about and what hip hop is about, because it’s all about peace, unity and having fun,” Viktor Montalvo, a teammate on Team USA, said
The music will be spun by a DJ while the tournament takes place on the Place de la Concorde; breakers will not be aware of the songs in beforehand.
“It’s going to feel like a party,” Jeffrey Louis, the breaker, said, “from the DJ who’s providing the music, the vibe, we have the dancers, we have the crowd.”
Montalvo says, “We already made history, so why not enjoy it?”
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What is the break schedule and when does it begin?
Starting on Friday at 10 a.m. ET, the women’s tournament will conclude at 3:23 p.m. ET with a final duel. The men’s competitions start at the same times on Saturday.
The 16 breakers will begin the five-hour tournament in groups of four, engaging in one-minute fights. A group of judges rates the dancers based on their execution, musicality, creativity, technique, and vocabulary. After the top two from each group advance to the quarterfinals and semifinals, the winner of the gold medal will be decided in a best-of-three medal round.
