Breaking news, a sport for a while

So, breakdancing became an Olympic sport over Friday to Sunday for some 30 hours for the first (and possibly last) time. Perhaps, because it required the gravitas of the Olympics, it was referred to as ‘breaking’ instead of break-dancing. Which brings us to the question: by virtue of it requiring extreme physical virtuosity, is it a sport? As Aussie standup Benjamin French a.k.a. Frenchy put it, ‘Having breakdancing in the Olympics is like having a trans Mexican woman at a Trump rally. Like, yeah, you can be there. But, WHY?!’

Japan’s Ami Yuasa a.k.a. B-Girl Ami and Canada’s Philip ‘Wizard’ Kim a.k.a. B-Boy won gold. The ‘sport’ has both street dancers and Olympic aficionados wondering why the breaking needed Olympic branding-gentrification. What next? Disco, ballet as an Olympic sport? Don’t get us wrong. The more inclusionary the Olympics get the better. Antakshari or Ludo being included could even get India a medal. Plus breaking, one supposes, is ice-skating of Winter Olympics without the rink and blades. So… One wonders what the likes of great dancers like MC Hammer and Michael Jackson would have reckoned if they had breakdancing as an Olympic sport during their heydays. Not to push matters, kathak, in its gymnast’s way, could well be included as an Olympic discipline if lobbied enough. And soon, some worthy video games, too.