BNU PhD candidate continues Olympic research journey in Budapest
BNU research candidate Sonja Cimelli attended the Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) in Budapest as she continues her research journey into the integration of Breaking at the Paris Olympics 2024. Follow her research journey as she details her time spent at the festival below.
The Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) is a new two-part festival series which determines the final athletes to qualify for the Paris Olympics in the urban sports of skateboarding, BMX freestyle, sport climbing and breaking. The first festival took place in Shanghai in May, and I was fortunate to attend the second part in Budapest, Hungary, as part of my PhD research supported by the IOC Olympic Studies Centre PhD and Early Career Academics Research Grant Programme.
The first two days saw the start of competition in all sports except for breaking, so I had a chance to soak up the atmosphere and experience the best of the best competing for their final chance to secure a place in Paris. The festival took place in the grounds of the Ludovika Campus and was free to the public.
Considering the costs and challenges involved in securing Olympic tickets, this was an amazing opportunity to see some of the most respected and decorated athletes competing in their respective sports. Next to each competition venue, there was also an amateur version set up so fans could try each sport, whether that was in the BMX or skateboard parks, the climbing wall or breaking cypher.
It was joyful to see so many people, particularly young children, trying out these sports, emulating the elite athletes they had witnessed. This was all set against a festival atmosphere of music, fashion and art, and it was clear to see the cultural connections shared by these four sports. This event will undoubtedly inspire not only future Olympians, but people of all ages and abilities to seek out the recreational possibilities of these sports and urban spaces.
The breaking competition would see the final 10 B-Girl and 10 B-Boy spots secured for Paris. Olympic qualification started in 2022, so this has been a long and arduous qualification process for these amazing athletes. The indoor arena was completely packed, the atmosphere electric, and the audience, many of whom watching breaking for the first time, were fully engaged and showing their appreciation for what they were witnessing.
An important element in breaking is the music, especially as the athletes do not know what music will be played, so there is always an element of improvisation. The DJs spun a masterclass in classic breaks, and the athletes responded with some of the highest levels of breaking I have ever had the privilege of watching, undoubtedly winning over a legion of new breaking fans and enthusiasts in the process.
Any doubts of whether breaking deserves a place on the Olympic stage were quashed by anyone who had the opportunity to witness it.
We now know the 32 athletes (16 B-Girls/16 B-Boys) that will not only represent their countries, but also breaking and hip hop culture. The Olympic stage is set on the iconic Place de la Concorde for breaking battles of epic proportions, and I for one cannot wait.
Thank you Budapest, next stop Paris!