British breakdancers ready for ‘bonkers’ chance to compete at Paris Olympics

For Britain’s best breakdancers, the chance to compete at the Paris Olympics in 2024 remains a “bonkers” and somewhat divisive prospect.

The welcome opportunity to shed their stereotypical image as descendants of the 1980s New York street scene is balanced by commercial and funding concerns that some fear threatens the authenticity of what they uncomfortably acknowledge as a ‘sport’.

Breakdancing – or ‘breaking’ as it will be known in Olympic parlance – was officially elevated to the Paris programme in late 2020 after its hugely successful debut at the 2018 Youth Olympics.

Olympic inclusion has already paid dividends for Derby’s Kid Karam, who last year became the first breakdancer to sign a sponsorship deal with Nike, and has modelled for fashion brands including Fendi.

“My aims and goals have always been to be the best in the world and there’s no much bigger than going to the Olympics and getting a medal – it’s a great opportunity to take breaking to the next level,” Karam told the PA news agency.

“At the start there was a lot of uproar about the Olympics because people didn’t want the rawness of what we are doing to be diluted, they didn’t want to lose that underground scene and for it to become too commercialised.

“But as time has progressed it’s not like we’ve had to make massive changes. Seeing how well it did at the Youth Olympics, I think people are getting over it and there’s not so much opposition.”

Karam – real name Karam Singh – started breakdancing after watching a demonstration at a local fair. In 2008, his crew ‘Trinity Warriors’ won the world title, beating a rival crew from South Korea.

“The origins will always be there, but it’s important that we move on too,” added Karam.

“I started breaking at the age