PARIS — Victor Montalvo won the first Olympic bronze medal in history in the men’s freestyle on Saturday night.
He knew he might be the last.
The breaking race at the 2024 Paris Olympics, years in the making, ended in about 30 hours this weekend, bringing a little excitement and intrigue to the end of the Games. For breakers like Montalvo competing as B-boy Victor, it certainly felt different — a bit more serious and a bit more special. Realistically, the Summer Olympics felt like a moment we may never see again.
“It’s a win for all of us,” Victor said. “I’m so happy for breaking and hip-hop culture. We represented and everyone loved it.”
Even in a sport that borders on art, where friendships and personal beefs serve as the backdrop for every battle, Victor said Saturday night felt like the 16 in the tournament were working together. were Olympic medals At stake, and bragging rights, and perhaps endorsement deals and future financial opportunities. But their common goal, Victor and the other Breakers said, was simply to put on a show.
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At the end of the gold medal battle, Canada’s b-boy Bill Vizard and France’s b-boy Danny Tan walked out into the crowd with their arms around each other and smiles on their faces. Phil Wizard, whose legal name is Phillip Kim, was soon introduced as the man who struck gold. And Danny Dan aka Dennis Civil won the silver medal. But mostly being there for both.
“For us, right now, it’s just one,” Bill Wizard said. “So to be a part of history is truly incredible.”
The International Olympic Committee added braking to the program for the Games in Paris because they thought it would appeal to the younger, social media-savvy audience they wanted. This fits with the broader goal of local organizers, the “urban” Olympic Games.
But from the start, breaking was seen more as a novelty than a new sport.
A sport is not considered an official, permanent part of the Olympic program unless it is part of three consecutive games and is not superseded. Organizers had the ability to propose new sports for the next Summer Games in Los Angeles in 2028, and they chose flag football, cricket and lacrosse overbreaking — despite the dance’s deep history in the United States, including its birthplace. Bronx.
The breakers who competed on Saturday night knew this all too well. It is unlikely that the sport will be brought back to Olympic status at the 2032 Brisbane Games or beyond.
“I feel like we did our job,” Victor said. “Everybody loved it. The crowd was going crazy. It’s okay. We’re not in 2028, but honestly, I (I) won the first bronze medal in vaulting. So, it’s an amazing thing.”
Victor was first introduced to breaking by his father Victor Sr. and uncle Hector Bermudez, both former B-boys. When Victor Sr. tells his son he’s going to break, Victor Jr. doesn’t believe him, and Victor Sr. pulls out his old gear, moves some furniture around the room, and starts doing head spins and windmills. Six years later, Victor Jr. began to break through competitively.
As he progressed through the ranks from local cyphers to Red Bull’s annual PC One event, Victor emerged as one of the world’s best at his craft, winning two of the last three world championships. But the 30-year-old from Kissimmee, Florida, isn’t seriously considering the possibility of breaking being an Olympic sport. What he experienced in Paris – the crowd at La Concorde, the podium ceremony, the medal – was unexpected, which is why he wasn’t the least bit upset that he didn’t win gold.
“I didn’t get gold, but I got bronze,” Victor said. “And we all represented the hip-hop culture. Every contestant that was there represented hip-hop and breaking.
“Hopefully the younger generation, the younger generation, are starting to dance and break. Because it’s amazing: You don’t need a lot for it, you know? You have a dance floor, self-expression and that’s about it.”
On Saturday night’s stage, there was bombast and bragging throughout the two- or three-round fights, which were judged by a panel of nine judges. But in the small moments after each battle, it all melted away. Phil Wizard went out of his way to talk about how, despite his new Olympic gold medal, he doesn’t consider himself the best in the world.
“I could lose another match next week with anybody out there,” Bill Wizard said. “It’s honestly rock, paper, scissors — a big game, especially at this level.”
Now, however, the 27-year-old from Vancouver will go down in history just like Danny Dan and Victor and everyone else who attended the match, or watched it in person, or watched it on TV. It may not happen again.
“You will never forget this day!” One of the weekend’s emcees, Max Oliveira, reminded the crowd during Friday night’s women’s match. “Breaking into the Olympics, it’s incredible!”
As the gold medal match drew to a close, Oliveira declared into the microphone that he didn’t want the day to end. “Always!” He said. “We want it to be infinite!”
But alas, it ended. And Olympic breaking is probably not far behind. No matter the TV ratings or social media reviews, only one game will do in summer sports. But at least it made a splash.
Contributed by: Chris Bumbaga
Contact Tom Schad at [email protected] or on social media @Tom_Schad.
