The Paris Olympics have officially wrapped up, ending on a high note Sunday with Team USA snagging gold in women's basketball.
While classic crowd favorites like swimming and gymnastics had everyone glued to their screens, it was the introduction of breaking that brought a unique energy to the Games. After two days of competition, many are now wondering if this sport will make a return in four years when Los Angeles hosts the Summer Olympics.
However, despite its successful debut, breaking will not be part of the Los Angeles program in 2028. It will be removed from the lineup, joining another long-standing sport that has been featured in every Olympics since the 1900s.
Breaking will not return for the 2028 Olympics
Breaking made its Olympic debut as an optional sport in Paris, but it’s not making the cut for 2028. While the competition had a successful run, it also sparked plenty of laughs online. Viewers didn’t quite know what to expect, and what they got was both impressive and amusing.
On X, users poked fun at various aspects of the competition, from the dancers’ outfits to some of their more unconventional moves. One user shared an image of a dancer from Lithuania named Nicka, writing, “1. Breakdancing at the Olympics is already amazing simply for the visual of seeing somebody from Lithuania in a durag 2. The announcers gotta be reaaaaallllll careful pronouncing that name.”
Another breaker, Raygun from Australia, went viral for her quirky dance style. Someone jokingly wrote, “When I tell you I SCREAMED, she's gonna single-handedly get breakdancing removed from the #olympics.”
But if you’re curious, the Australian competitor, whose real name is Rachael Gunn, wasn’t fazed by the online jokes. In an interview with ESPN, she defended her unconventional moves that cost her three round-robin-style battles, saying she’s unfazed by the mockery.
"All of my moves are original," Raygun told ESPN. "Creativity is really important to me. I go out there, and I show my artistry. Sometimes it speaks to the judges, and sometimes it doesn't. I do my thing, and it represents art. That is what it is about."
Will boxing make an Olympic return?
While breaking is officially leaving the Olympic program, the future of boxing is still uncertain. The IOC has not confirmed its inclusion for 2028 due to ongoing corruption allegations involving the International Boxing Association (IBA), which previously oversaw Olympic boxing.
In the last two Olympics, the IBA has not been involved, leaving boxing in a provisional status. If a new governing body cannot be established, boxing may also be excluded from the Los Angeles Games.
Although breaking won't be returning, the 2028 Olympics will feature five sports that were not included in the Paris program: cricket, flag football, baseball and softball, lacrosse, and squash.
Flag football and squash will make their Olympic debuts, while cricket returns after last appearing in 1900. Lacrosse will be played for the first time since 1908, and baseball and softball, which were dropped after 2008, made a brief return at the Tokyo Games.
