The former champion and now coach-coordinator of the France team, Abdel Mustapha -

Abdel Mustapha

In the great race to modernize an Olympic Committee (IOC) driven by the fear of seeing its Olympic Games fall into disuse, additional disciplines will have their role to play.

In Tokyo 2020, rock climbing, skateboarding and surfing will make their appearance.

Three disciplines that we will find three years later alongside a newcomer: breakdance, whose presence the IOC has just confirmed in Paris 2024. Well, not so new.

B-boys and B-girls (the dancers) have already tasted the Olympic scent on the occasion of the very first Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Buenos Aires in 2018 and have even aroused some enthusiasm.

However, it was not won.

In the breaking world, the interest of the IOC and the Olympic framework first raised fears of a distortion of the urban atmosphere inherent in this street art.

The YOG, it seems, got everyone to agree, says Abdel Mustapha, former world champion, now coach and national coordinator of the France team.

Returned from Argentina with a silver medal, that of Martin Lejeune, his mission now is to complete the structuring of the discipline and to look for medal-winning talents in Paris 2024. Paced interview.

What does it mean for breaking to be dubbed by the IOC?

First of all, it must be said, and this is only my opinion, that there were initially opinions within the community which diverged but which have come together more and more since the Youth Olympic Games.

The event gave a foretaste of what this Olympic competition could be like and it helped to erase some concerns about the possible distortion of the discipline.

We wondered "is this going to be done by people from the community?"

"

And at the end of the day, we saw that the YOG were battles like any other, both in the competition and technical aspects, with juries that we used to see, speakers, DJs. and no imposed figures.

These concerns have therefore been erased.

What has also changed is that before we had unofficial championships, we had champions of France, world champions every weekend.

But there, with the Olympics, Martin [Lejeune] who returns from the YOG with the silver medal, is the only one who can say that he is vice-champion.

This official aspect has changed a lot of things.

How did it go at the YOG in Buenos Aires?

We were not alone in the sense that there was skateboarding and other urban disciplines, so there was obviously an urban atmosphere, lifestyle, artistic, cultural exchange… A DJ who puts on music, inevitably that attracts.

People come because they listen to the music of the day.

Hip-hop is one of the most listened to in the world, so obviously the fact that there is music echoes and people come… It's really a festive and sporting aspect through the competition, because it's still battles, 1 vs 1, turns, judgments.

All this mixture liked it.

We were in the Olympic Village when Martin came home after his silver medal, you had all the B-Boys and B-girls who came to dance, it was madness.

This is why it was a success, it affects the youth and it has a sporting dimension, but not only.

What will be the formats of the events at the 2024 Olympics?

We are awaiting the official announcement which will fall in the week.

But it was about an individual B-boy and individual B-girl competition in the same format as the YOG.

How many rounds?

That was huge too, when Martin went there, that was a change.

A classic competition is eight rounds, let's say ten maximum when you are in a top 8 or in a top 16. There, Martin when he arrived in Buenos Aires it was 18, and he had only six [in reserve. "].

He had to work on the spot to find 12 passages.

It was a work of matter because you must not repeat yourself, go and tap into your ability to find new movements.

It was kind of my role as coordinator on the spot to help him.

And beyond that, a work of strategy too.

Knowing who he's falling against, his strengths, his weaknesses, what Martin should or shouldn't do.

That's how he got the money in the end.

But going from eight to 18 was a hell of a change.

Martin Lejeune in his works - Ivo Gonzalez / REX / Shutterstock / SIPA

Beyond Martin, silver medalist at the YOG, what does France represent in the world of breaking?

Is it a recognized nation?

Of course.

France has given new impetus to this American culture which was not in its best years.

Europe and France have relaunched this discipline and France has a lot of stars in the station wagon of all generations: 80, 90, 2000, 2010, 2020… We won in all the major competitions, in all the major events.

The particularity of France, unlike other territories, is that we have always had representatives with their own charisma and style.

French dancers do not all dance the same way and this is what makes them unique.

You take Martin, he's a shy little youngster who doesn't talk much but as soon as he goes on stage he smiles, he bedrooms, it's jovial, he communicates with the audience.

And next to that, if I take the example of the last competition that took place recently, the Red Bull DC One, the French representative, Pac Pac, was questionably eliminated, it gave rise to a big controversy. on networks.

Everyone talks more about him than the winner.

Because he is a young person who has his charisma and his way of dancing.

Are you afraid of the one-shot at the Olympics?

Paris 2024 and then nothing?

2028 would be Los Angeles.

I think they have every interest in maintaining the station wagon, the skate.

It was all born there, it's part of the culture.

If it's been a hit in Paris, I don't see why it would be a problem to see him again in LA.

Afterwards we don't know, we have an organizing committee, the Cojo, which strongly supported with a national federation which strongly supported us.

This may not be the case in other countries.

France has always been able to do things well in terms of hosting international competitions.

If the station wagon makes its debut at the 2024 Olympics with the professionalism of the IOC and the whole breaking community unites their forces… Let us not forget that it is in France that there are all the biggest breaking events.

Bercy, des Zéniths, des Arenas.

We have this culture of events and breaking.

I think it can work well.

Now we will have a lot of work to prepare the best to go and win medals.

This is where we do not yet have answers but we will work on it.

Production

Enter the dance of Street dance!

Montpellier

Battle of the year: has Montpellier become a breakdance capital?

  • Sport

  • Paris 2024

  • Interview

  • Break dance