The International Olympic Committee Board announced this week that it plans to split up the lead and boulder climbing disciplines in the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Compared to Paris 2024, the 2028 Olympics will admit nearly 12% more climbing athletes鈥�76, instead of 68鈥攁nd offer three additional climbing medals.

Sport climbing鈥檚 Olympic presence has come a long way since its 2021 debut. In the Tokyo Olympics, the three disciplines of lead, boulder, and speed were awkwardly combined into one super discipline that required athletes to compete across all disciplines. The combined format proved a massive challenge for some specialized climbers. For example, in Tokyo, Adam Ondra took second in lead, but placed fourth in speed and sixth in boulder. For a moment, it looked like Ondra would win gold, but was such that Alberto Gin茅s L贸pez took the gold by placing first in speed, seventh in boulder, and fourth in lead. (Scores were determined by multiplying the scoring results of each discipline.)

In 2024, things improved: the IOC separated the hyper-specialized discipline of speed climbing, but kept lead and boulder lumped together. The climbing community鈥斺€攕till felt that none of these disciplines ought to be grouped together.

According to the , the International Olympic Committee (IOC) explained that specific athlete quotas for the 2028 Games across the three events will 鈥渂e finalized in the Olympic Qualification System.鈥� This will also clarify whether climbers can compete in multiple events.

鈥淚鈥檓 really excited about the news that all three disciplines will be separate at the 2028 Summer Olympics,鈥� says Natalia Grossman, who competed in the lead/boulder event in 2024. 鈥淔rom the very beginning, the community has been pushing for three sets of medals鈥攁nd now we鈥檝e finally got them!鈥�

Jesse Grupper, who also competed in lead/boulder in the 2024 Games, felt similarly. 鈥淪ince climbing first became a discipline in the Olympics, this event has always pushed athletes to conform to the disciplines decided on by the Olympics,鈥� says Grupper. 鈥淭his marks a new era where the core disciplines of climbing are determining what happens at the Olympics and not the other way round. As an athlete with a focus in lead, I鈥檓 over the moon to have an opportunity to vie for a spot to do what I love on the biggest stage in the world.鈥�

Another exciting development in Olympic climbing is the at the 2028 Games. Significant groundwork has already been laid in establishing classifications for the rollout of paralympic climbing in Los Angeles.

In addition to its announcement regarding the new climbing format on Wednesday, the IOC revealed a number of other changes for the LA 2028 Games. of these changes is to achieve better gender parity. For example, the number of women鈥檚 football (soccer) teams increased to 16, while the quota for men鈥檚 soccer teams decreased to 12, swinging the gender imbalance in the other direction. The IOC also announced a new weight class for women boxers, and added five new sports, including cricket, flag football, and lacrosse.

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These are strange times for Olympians.

An athlete can win medal after medal, but should they be caught on camera in a compromising or hilarious situation, the ensuing tonnage of Internet memes will overshadow those accolades. Want proof? I dare you to Google French pole vaulter or Turkish shooter .

I fear that American Olympic triathlete is headed for a similar fate. I’m here to beg you, people of the Internet, to not let it happen.

Over the weekend, Knibb, 26, dominated the T100 world championships triathlon in Dubai, winning the race by over two minutes. But during the run portion Knibb pooped in her racing suit. Hey, it’s triathlon鈥攊ndigestion and the occasional mid-race crap are . Knibb had the presence of mind to share her predicament with the cameraman who was trailing her: she asked him to spare viewers the unflattering view from behind. “I just shit myself,” she said into the camera. “So can you not get my ass?” The cameraman complied.

Alas, this short video clip has entered the Internet’s . I first saw it on Instagram on Sunday night, and by Wednesday, stories about Knibb dotted the Internet. Even 鈥攖he surest sign that a story has become part of the Internet’s lowbrow sludge.

I understand why: pants pooping is almost always a little funny, and doing so during a world-class sporting competition simply adds to the knee-slapping appeal. Plus, Knibb’s calm, matter-of-fact demeanor in the midst of a could-be crisis moment won hearts. She’s a little like that meme of the dog in the burning room claiming “,” if that dog were also masterfully managing its own PR in real-time.

But as we all know, viral memes have a way of distorting reality and overshadowing facts. And the truth about Taylor Knibb is that she’s probably the most impressive American endurance athlete of her generation. Period. And I will say this聽until I’m hoarse: Taylor Knibb is far too impressive of an athlete for a goofy meme to define her online reputation.

Knibb wins triathlons of varying distances, and in 2020 she won Olympic silver in Tokyo. Not to be outdone, in 2024 Knibb qualified for the American Olympic team in both triathlon and road cycling. To the unfamiliar, this may seem pretty ho-hum. Cycling is one of the three legs of triathlon, after all. Isn’t this just like Michael Phelps winning medals in breast stroke, backstroke, and butterfly?

Nope鈥攊t’s completely different. It’s more like if Phelps won in the 100-meter freestyle and then donned a sequined outfit and did the Olympic synchronized swimming competition and totally kicked ass at it. No American has competed in triathlon and cycling at the same Olympics ever before. It’s a big deal.听In fact, Knibb was the only American to compete in two different sports at the Paris Games. She also raced the Olympic team triathlon and helped Team USA earn a silver medal.

Within the small community of endurance sports superfanatics鈥攜es, I am a card-carrying member鈥擪nibb’s double-Olympic qualification was mind-blowing.

“Threading that needle of being world-class in triathlon and cycling at the same time is beyond difficult,” says longtime coach Neal Henderson, who trains elite-level cyclists and triathletes. “It’s hard to put into words just how impossible that is.”

Henderson told 国产吃瓜黑料 that the training demands to be that good in two different sports are聽mind-boggling. Elite cyclists and triathletes both train anywhere from 25-28 hours a week. But cyclists dedicate all of that time toward the very specific physiological act of pedaling a bicycle. Triathletes, meanwhile, split those hours between swimming, biking, and running.

And anyone who’s ever done a triathlon knows that running and cycling are not exactly complementary exercises. I’m simplifying here, but pedaling a bicycle requires your leg muscles to generate high levels of power. That’s why top cyclists often have brawny quads, glutes, and hamstrings.

Running, meanwhile, damages big, brawny leg muscles, and saps those muscles of the power required to push the pedals of a bicycle. If you examine the world’s top distance runners鈥攁nd triathletes鈥攜ou will see lithe, spindly legs.

“The physiological demands of running has聽a negative effect on being able to maintain the muscle mass, strength, and power that make you a good cyclist,” Henderson said. “And in elite sports, you’re talking about razor-edge differences that come from putting huge demands on the body.”

Henderson, who operates the Colorado-based coaching company Apex Coaching, coached Knibb when she was an 18-year-old budding professional triathlete. She had graduated from Cornell as an Academic All American and a top-level cross-country runner, and she had her sights set on professional triathlon. Knibb was the rare teenaged athlete with world-class natural talent, monk-like dedication to training, and personal ambitions that were sky-high, Henderson said.

But even he had his doubts when Knibb told him that in 2024 she hoped to qualify for the Olympics in two different sports. Her travel schedule for triathlon left very little time to train specifically for cycling. And the handful of American women competing for a spot in Paris included talented athletes who have spent years focusing on the sport.

“It seemed unreasonable for Taylor to go to the Olympics in both,” Henderson said. “But if you place reasonable expectations on athletes with unreasonable ability, you’ll never know what they’re capable of.”

Knibb had earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic triathlon team in 2023, and in 2024 a rare opportunity opened for her to go in cycling. USA Cycling, the sport’s governing body, held a in the individual time trial on May 15. The race fell right in the middle of Knibb’s international competition schedule for triathlon, just a few days after a major race in Japan.

After finishing second at the Japanese triathlon, Knibb traveled to Charleston, West Virginia, for the road cycling race. She faced off against the country’s best professional cyclists in the 22-mile individual race. Among the competitors included former world champion Amber Neben, former U.S. road champion Lauren Stephens, and even Kristen Faulkner, who went on to win two cycling gold medals in Paris. Everyone wanted the victory, because a win meant an automatic spot on the U.S. Olympic cycling team.

Knibb smoked them all鈥攕he topped Faulkner by 11 seconds to grab the spot.

When I read the news, I just about fell out of my chair. When Henderson learned of Knibb’s victory, he smiled. He knew she was capable of it, after all.

So, if you must, have your little laugh at the video, then take a minute to get to know Knibb for who she really is: an exceptional athlete with huge ambitions, crazy strength, and yes, the ability to stay calm and collected, no matter the situation.

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Seven months after a partial knee replacement and five and a half years since , 40-year-old Lindsey Vonn will return to ski racing.

Recently, the ski legend鈥檚 has been filled with hints: reels of her training in New Zealand and S枚lden, Austria, accompanied by captions like, 鈥淟oving the process, no matter where it leads,鈥� and 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know exactly what lies ahead, but I know I鈥檓 healthy, happy and grateful.鈥�

On Thursday, November 14, Vonn posted, 鈥淲ell, it鈥檚 off to Colorado鈥�. I hope the @usskiteam uniform still fits鈥︹€�

The Stifel U.S. Ski Team confirmed Thursday that Vonn will rejoin the team currently training at Copper Mountain, Colo.

鈥淕etting back to skiing without pain has been an incredible journey,鈥� Vonn said in the press release. 鈥淚 am looking forward to being back with the Stifel U.S. Ski Team and to continue to share my knowledge of the sport with these incredible women.鈥�

Before her family moved to Vail, Colo., Vonn grew up skiing at Buck Hill, Minn., to support her ski racing dreams. She made her World Cup debut at 16, eventually tallying 82 World Cup victories and three Olympic and eight World Championship medals. Despite competing with a torn LCL and meniscus in her left knee, she concluded her career with a downhill bronze at the 2019 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Are, Sweden. Her April knee replacement has allowed her to ski pain-free for the first time in years.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited about the future because I鈥檓 finally not in pain all the time,鈥� Vonn said in September before being inducted into the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame. 鈥淚鈥檒l probably need another partial on the other side or a full replacement, but it鈥檚 changed my life completely.鈥�

Returning to ski racing means Vonn is going big. Whether she will qualify for the season鈥檚 first World Cup downhill on home turf in Beaver Creek, Colo., remains uncertain, but her U.S. teammates are eager for the possibility.

鈥淏eaver Creek is going to be so exciting,鈥� said Breezy Johnson at Copper Mountain. 鈥淚f a certain blond comes back, I just hope she puts up some Ws.鈥�

Former teammates and new U.S. skiers alike expressed support. Retired star Julia Mancuso, who often shared the spotlight with Vonn, posted, 鈥渨ow, you鈥檙e incredible,鈥� in response to Vonn鈥檚 announcement. Bella Wright, a U.S. team member, added, 鈥淚 never got the opportunity to be Lindsey鈥檚 teammate in the past, so the opportunity to ski alongside her is extremely exciting!鈥�

Since retiring, Vonn has run empowerment camps for young girls through the Lindsey Vonn Foundation, carried the torch for the 2024 Paris Olympics, and launched an Athlete鈥檚 Family Initiative as part of the 2034 Salt Lake City Games bid. Red Bull also recently facilitated her dream of skiing the Streif in Kitzb眉hel at night.

The ski world is thrilled at Vonn鈥檚 return. Milan Cortina 2026 responded to the announcement, hinting that she may compete again in the Olympics.

鈥淟indsey has made an indelible mark on alpine skiing,鈥� said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Sophie Goldschmidt. 鈥淗er dedication and passion for the sport are inspiring, and we鈥檙e excited to welcome her back on snow.鈥�

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A few days after the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris wrapped up, I went to a restaurant with my family and noticed bizarre behavior from some of the patrons. A few tables away, a guy was hopping alongside his table with his hands curled in front of him like bunny paws as the other members of his party cracked up. At another table, a woman passed her phone around to her friends to show them a video. “Oh my god, what is she doing?” I heard one of them say.

The next morning, I saw more weirdness at my local swimming pool: kids and adults bounced off of the diving board and did mid-air kangaroo poses and breakdancing leg-grabs before splashing into the water.

Yep, this was the height of , when the entire world seemed to be fixated on Australian Olympian , and her hilarious if cringe-worthy routine during Olympic breakdancing. Raygun’s marsupial-themed moves鈥攜es, she called one of them the 鈥淜angaroo hop鈥濃€攅arned zero points from the judges but became perhaps the singular moment of the entire Paris Games. If you spent any time on social media during the middle of August, you were probably inundated by a tidal wave of Raygun content: memes, spoofs, .

Dr Raygun is an Aussie legend.

We dance to our own beat.

And bring marsupial energy to every contest.

She鈥檚 a national treasure.

Give her an AO.

鈥� Craig Foster (@Craig_Foster)

Even those who aren’t hyper-online were subject to it. British songstress to concertgoers. ran a segment about it. My 82-year-old Dad knew about Raygun and he’s never even been on Twitter.

These Raygun memes just keep going

鈥� Dr. Scott Kelly (@drscottkelly)

And then, like all modern media sensations, Raygun was fed into the wood chipper that is the American culture war, and a predictable process played out. There was the backlash (!) and a backlash to the backlash (!). Within a few days, the Internet became choked with attacking kangaroos, Australia, breakdancing, eighties pop culture, and anything else remotely connected to Raygun’s wackadoo antics. Meanwhile Gunn, 36, who is a university professor in Sydney, went into Internet hiding. And after a few days, the whole world moved on.

Well, this week Gunn broke her silence.听In an exclusive interview with Australian TV show The Project, . Gunn also apologized to Aussie B-Boys and B-Girls for all the negative vibes her antics attracted. “It is really sad to hear those criticisms and I am very sorry for the backlash that the community has experienced, but I can鈥檛 control how people react,” she said.

As someone who has covered niche sports and Olympic competition for the better part of the last two decades, I have my own take on the Raygun ordeal: She shouldn’t apologize for anything. In fact, everyone involved in competitive breakdancing and the Olympic movement should thank Gunn. Her 60-second dance routine cut through the global news cycle and attracted millions of eyeballs. By my estimation, Gunn sparked more conversations about breakdancing than every eighties film combined.

Grabbing this much awareness during the Olympics is tougher than you might assume. When I was a reporter with The SportsBusiness Journal, I regularly spoke to officials who worked in niche Olympic sports. They viewed the Summer Games as the single golden opportunity to showcase their sport to the masses.

Every four years, these officials strategize how to market their respective sports to casual viewers. They debate which athlete, or event, or highlight, will resonate with the American public. They know that a seminal Olympic moment will have a trickle-down effect that can attract new fans and participants.

Niche sports and the athletes who participate in them face a huge challenge at the Olympics, which our contributor Aimee Berg recently chronicled. In the U.S., swimming, women’s gymnastics, basketball, and track-and-field, dominate Olympics TV coverage, and star athletes like LeBron James and Katie Ledecky grab most of the attention. The best a niche athlete can hope for is a gold-medal performance, which may or may not lead to a three-minute segment during that night’s primetime TV coverage on NBC.

Sometimes gold medals aren’t enough to make an athlete a star. Velodrome cyclist now has three gold medals, a silver, and a bronze. But Valente can walk through any shopping mall in America without being noticed.

Raygun, meanwhile, upended this pecking order, and accomplished what all of those sports marketers could never do. She elevated her sport鈥攚hich was new to the Olympic program, no less鈥攖o the top of the media frenzy at the Paris Games. In restaurants across the world, millions mimicked her dance and showcased her clips. They debated her merits and argued about her routine.

And of those millions, a not insignificant portion watched clips of other breakdancers.听Maybe they saw the of Canadian dancer Philip “Wizard” Kim, or watched in the women’s final round. Perhaps some of these viewers showed those clips to their kids, who watched wide-eyed and wondered if they, too, could someday spin around on the ground to hip-hop music. And maybe some of those kids begged their parents to sign them up for a breakdancing class at the local recreation center or dancing academy.

Yes, Raygun’s dance was undeniably goofy. But what she accomplished for her sport was nearly impossible, and something that future sports marketers will try, and fail, to replicate. She shouldn’t be sorry for that.

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If fans were craving more heart-pounding tension after yesterday鈥檚 nail-biting , they got it this morning as the women鈥檚 of the Combined discipline funneled into the Lead climax. Slovenia鈥檚 Janja Garnbret was leading the field, but just barely鈥� some struggles from Garnbret on the last boulder (and, worrisomely, a potential finger injury) meant that other competitors were within striking distance on the scorecards. Team USA鈥檚 Brooke Raboutou, for example, was only trailing Garnbret by 0.4 points after the Boulder portion; the quartet of Australia鈥檚 Oceana Mackenzie, France鈥檚 Oriane Bertone, Great Britain鈥檚 Erin McNeice, and Austria鈥檚 Jessica Pilz were all hovering around 59 points apiece and still in the mix too. Such close scores set a story in motion for a that will be remembered and revered for years to come.

Here are the highlights.

Chaehyun Seo Sets an Early High Point

Someone had to set the early standard on the lead route of black boomerangs, white hexagons, and blue half-sphere volumes, and South Korea鈥檚 Chaehyun Seo did so with aplomb. In fact, even before she set the high point, she confidently cut feet several times to cheers from the crowd. She eventually cruised onto the headwall and fell with a route score of 76.1 (out of 100); it would stand as the mark to beat on the wall for several subsequent competitors鈥� attempts.

The Combined Scores Come into Play

Great Britain鈥檚 Erin McNeice was not able to reach Seo鈥檚 robust high point鈥擬cNeice fell significantly lower on the wall while attempting a right-hand cross-move. But McNeice鈥檚 attempt, even if inferior to Seo鈥檚, gave everyone a reality check, of sorts; it reminded us all of the unique scoring of the Combined event, since McNeice surged to first place on the scorecards when her 68.1 Lead mark was added to her Boulder points (59.5). It鈥檚 unlikely we will see this unique Boulder and Lead Combined format ever again, but McNeice鈥檚 performance throughout the finals was a perfect example of why it鈥檚 an exhilarating way to structure a competition.

The Crowd Provided a Big Home-Court Advantage

It鈥檚 worth acknowledging how much the crowd of 6,000 spectators added to the vibe, which was also evident in the men鈥檚 final yesterday. Take, for example, the way the crowd clapped rhythmically in support of Oceana Mackenzie, or the way they chanted in unison for Oriane Bertone鈥斺€淥r-i-ane! Or-i-ane! Or-i-ane!鈥� Sure, both Mackenzie and Bertone probably would have liked to crank a little higher on the lead route (each fell below the headwall), but a highlight for each of their performances was the vociferous support from the audience. It鈥檚 not something normally heard at World Cups鈥攁t least not to such a loud and unified degree鈥攑erhaps because the Olympic crowd was comprised of just as many 鈥渃asual鈥� climbing fans as hardcore fans. Whatever the reason and impetus for such enthusiastic crowd noise, it was really cool.

Japan鈥檚 Ai Mori Proved Her Lead-Climbing Prowess

It鈥檚 hard to pick a single highlight for Japan鈥檚 Ai Mori. At a pure entertainment level, she fell while launching for the top hold鈥攖he closest that any finalist would come to sending the route. But by the numbers, such a jaw-dropping performance (a) established a new high point on the route by a significant margin and (b) gave Mori the lead on the Combined scorecards. It鈥檚 probably best to package all of that together and say that Mori鈥檚 attempt on the lead route was one of the most memorable parts of the women鈥檚 final. And it鈥檚 worth noting that if Lead was it鈥檚 own medal event鈥攚hich it may well be soon鈥攕he would have taken Gold.

The Final Showdown

One could make an argument that the last 20 minutes of the final鈥攚ith the successive attempts of Brooke Raboutou, Jessica Pilz, and Janja Garnbret鈥攚ere among the most thrilling and intense moments in the history of the sport. That鈥檚 not a statement that should be made lightly, but consider how everything transpired:

First, Brooke Raboutou took a commanding lead on the Combined scores, her attempt on the lead route only coming to an end when she tried to stabilize and match on a hold in order to clip on the headwall.

Second, Jessica Pilz, in electrifying comparison, was able to make that tricky clip on the headwall, but was not able to overtake Raboutou in the Combined鈥檚 arithmetic of points.

Finally, Janja Garnbret came out and climbed masterfully鈥攈er finger, perhaps tweaked, seemed fine, and her nerves, perhaps rattled by some bouldering woes, seemed as calm as ever. She did not quite send the route; she fell when her fingertips sloughed off the edge of a hold a few moves shy of the top. But her Combined score resulted in a gold medal鈥攎aking Garnbret the sport鈥檚 first back-to-back Olympic gold medalist. Raboutou and Pilz earned silver and bronze, respectively.

It felt like a storybook ending after a long week of toil and drama, highs and lows, happiness and heartbreak for so many competitors. And for the three women atop the podium at the end, it was a surefire passage into comp climbing鈥檚 storied history.

Women鈥檚 Combined Boulder & Lead Sport Climbing final results

1. Janja Garnbret (SLO): 168.5 (Boulder: 84.4, Lead: 84.1)
2. Brooke Raboutou (USA) 156.0 (Boulder: 84.0, Lead 72.0)
3. Jessica Pilz (AUT) 147.4 (Boulder 59.3, Lead 88.1)
4. Ai Mori (JPN) 135.1 (Boulder 39.0, Lead 96.1)
5. Erin McNeice (GBR) 127.6 (Boulder 59.5, Lead 68.1)
6. Chaehyun Seo (KOR) 105.0 (Boulder 28.9, Lead 76.1)
7. Oceana Mackenzie (AUS) 104.8 (Boulder 59.7, Lead 45.1)
8. Oriane Bertone (FRA) 104.5 (Boulder 59.5, Lead 45.0)

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As a young girl, Marisa Howard dreamed about becoming an Olympian one day. But her focus was on another Olympic sport, gymnastics. She had no idea what the 3,000-meter steeplechase even was.

She also had no idea she鈥檇 be a mom when the dream actually came true.

Over the last two decades, Marisa, 31, has gone through numerous highs and lows, near-misses, injuries, a lack of sponsor support, and joyful life changes鈥攎ost notably giving birth to son, Kai, in 2022. But the steeplechaser from Boise, Idaho, never let go of the dream. Relying on her faith, a strong family support system, and the frugal but full life she shares with her husband, Jeff, the dream came true on June 27 with a third-place finish in the steeplechase at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon.

After chipping away at her craft for three Olympic cycles,聽 Marisa ran the race of her life鈥攆inishing with a 15-second personal best of 9 minutes and 7.14 seconds鈥攖o earn a spot on Team USA.

Her dream of running for Team USA in the Olympics officially materialized on August 4 when she lined up to race in the prelims of the 3,000-meter steeplechase in Paris. She ran with the lead pack in her heat as long as she could, but with two laps to go she slid to seventh and finished in that position in 9:24.78, missing the chance to advance to the August 6 final by two places and about seven seconds.

鈥淚 think it just becomes a lot more real when you see people that have been kind of knocking on the door for years and finally break through. It鈥檚 like, 鈥榃ow, we鈥檙e human and we can do it.鈥� Dreams do come true,鈥� Marisa said. 鈥淚 was six or seven or eight years old when this Olympic dream was born, and I plan on competing until he鈥檚 that age, hopefully, to show him what it鈥檚 like to do hard things and chase your dreams. I think it鈥檒l be cool in 10 years when I show Kai these videos and be able to tell him, 鈥淟ook at what Mommy did when you were two.鈥�

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In between making the team in late June and arriving in Paris in late July, Marisa鈥檚 life returned to normal鈥攁s if being a mom with a 2-year-old is ever normal, or at least consistent, on a day-to-day basis. That month included rough bouts of stomach flu for her and her son, the continued day-to-day management of Kai with Jeff, juggling workouts with childcare help from family and friends, reestablishing normal sleep patterns for everyone, and of course, finalizing travel plans to get the family to Paris.

It all came with a humbling reminder of the perspective that has been the bedrock of Marisa鈥檚 postpartum revival as an athlete.

鈥淭he day after I qualified, we were driving back home to Idaho and we were all tired. Kai was exhausted and screaming in the car, and I told my husband, 鈥楬e doesn鈥檛 care that I鈥檓 an Olympian, he just wants food and sleep and, really, I鈥檓 just mom,鈥欌€� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 humbling鈥攖here鈥檚 nothing more humbling than taking care of your sick baby鈥攁nd I think as a parent, we鈥檙e humbled every single day, and we come up short sometimes despite doing the best we can, but I鈥檓 thankful that there鈥檚 grace and forgiveness. I think it makes those high moments so much sweeter.鈥�

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Don鈥檛 Call it a Comeback

Marisa is part of a new wave of elite runners that aren鈥檛 putting their family plans on hold due to their career, and one of several moms who competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Stephanie Bruce raced the 10,000 meters just nine months postpartum after giving birth to her daughter, Sophia, in September 2023, while Kate Grace ran strong preliminary and semifinal 800-meter races to advance to the final of that event just 15 months after giving birth to son, River, in March 2023.

Elle St. Pierre gave birth to her son, Ivan, at about the same time, and returned to racing six months postpartum, finishing seventh in a speedy 4:24 at the Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City. That was just the beginning for St. Pierre, who broke the American indoor record in the mile (4:16.41) in January then won the gold medal in the 3,000 meters at the indoor world championships in Glasgow in March. At the Olympic Trials, Pierre won the 5,000 meters and placed third in the 1500, qualifying for Team USA in both events, even though she declined the Olympic entry for the 5,000.

After Howard gave birth to Kai in late May 2022, she began doing pelvic floor therapy along with general strength training and some easy jogging. By the time she started running in earnest that fall, she was surprised at how quickly her aerobic fitness came back to her.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 really surprised me is that I鈥檓 able to run paces that I never hit before pregnancy with the same amount or less effort,鈥� she says. 鈥淢y aerobic engine has just gotten so strong. You do see women come back stronger, but it鈥檚 a wide range of how long it takes them to come back. 鈥�

When she returned to the track, she was aiming for a top-three finish at the 2023 U.S. championships to qualify for the world championships in Budapest. She made it to the final and was in third place with two laps to go, but just didn鈥檛 have the closing speed. However, she did get the Olympic Trials standard by clocking a near-PR of 9:22.73, demonstrating she was just as fast as her pre-pregnancy self despite limited training and two years away from racing.

By late 2023 and early 2024, Pat McCurry, Marisa鈥檚 coach since college, was able to add more volume and intensity to her training, setting up what he thought would be her best season yet. And while Marisa admittedly didn鈥檛 race as well as hoped in her races before the Olympic Trials, McCurry knew she was capable of great things.

鈥淪he was on a different level once we got back to that base fitness post-pregnancy, and I think that鈥檚 what鈥檚 paid off in massive fitness dividends,鈥� said McCurry, who has coached Marisa on Idaho Afoot training group since 2015. 鈥淭he racing didn鈥檛 look amazing from the outside. The training was spectacular. We were doing things in training since January that we鈥檝e never done before鈥攋ust the level of intensity and volume we were sustaining was stellar.鈥�

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Bootstrapping It

Marisa picked up running at Pasco High School in Washington, and carried on with the dream at Boise State University. There, she also met Jeff Howard, a Boise State runner who held the school record in the 10,000 meters. But more important than their common athletic passion, they shared the same Christian values that were the foundation of her life. They married in the summer of 2013 just after he graduated. He eventually took a job as a high school teacher at a nearby school, while she blossomed into a three-time NCAA Division I All-American for the Broncos, notching a runner-up finish at the 2014 NCAA championships and fourth-place finish the following year as a senior.

After she graduated, she picked up a small sponsorship deal with women鈥檚 apparel brand Oiselle and set her sights on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials . She got injured and missed the trials that year. But Howard and her husband bought a house in Boise and started their family life in earnest. That added stability, along with the guidance of McCurry, who she began working with in 2016, allowed her to dig deeper into training and continue to make progress in the steeplechase, lowering her personal best to 9:30.92 at a race in Lapinlahti, Finland.

The Oiselle sponsorship evaporated after about three years but that didn鈥檛 seem to matter. She and Jeff were living frugally and loving life, especially because, by then, most of their family had moved to Boise. Marisa had two aunts who had lived in the area before she went to college, and Jeff鈥檚 parents moved to town shortly after they were married. Marisa鈥檚 parents, and later her best friend, Marianne Green, also picked up their roots and relocated to town.

The ensuing years brought a variety of highs and lows鈥攕everal near-miss fifth place finishes at U.S. championships, a silver medal at the 2019 Pan American Games, a few injuries that delayed her progress, a聽 breakthrough eight-second PR in the semifinals of the 2020 Olympic Trials, and, of course, welcoming Kai into the world in 2022.

What makes Marisa鈥檚 situation especially challenging is that she鈥檚 run competitively without a traditional sponsor since 2017, more or less collectively bootstrapping the dream on her husband鈥檚 high school teacher鈥檚 salary and working part-time as a schol nurse and as a coach. (She will officially join the Boise State staff as an assistant coach after the Olympics.) She often stays with friends when she travels to races and says she鈥檚 grateful to the meet directors who have flown her out to race, put her up in hotels, and also paid her to pace races.

She also earned USATF Foundation grants and in 2022 was the recipient of a $10,000 grant to offset child care expenses from a program sprinting legend Allyson Felix organized through Athleta鈥檚 Power of She Fund and the . Marisa competed at the 2024 Olympic Trials as part of the , which provides a small quarterly stipend, running apparel, and shoes to about 40 athletes in all disciplines of track and field.

鈥淲e鈥檝e found ways to make it work. We drive used cars, and we refinanced in 2020, so thankfully our mortgage is very low,鈥� she says. 鈥淪o really a lot of my expenses are just shoes, a little bit of travel, coaching fees, gym fees, and things like that. But it does add up. But thankfully we live well within our means and are able to do it. As I鈥檝e said before, the Lord always provides.鈥�

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Getting It Done

But even with that support and her continued progress, Marisa entered the Olympic Trials as a dark horse contender to make Team USA. And that鈥檚 despite knowing that Emma Coburn and Courtney Frerichs, the top stars of the event for the past 10 years, were sidelined with injuries. She hadn鈥檛 run great in her races leading up to the trials, and her confidence was waning, McCurry says.

鈥淚 felt like not having a full contract [from a shoe sponsorship] had kind of eroded away at some of her confidence, and she was starting to have a little bit of imposter syndrome at races,鈥� says McCurry. 鈥淲e just had a really firm talk where I was like, damn it, you鈥檙e better than this,鈥� he says. 鈥淣ot we, not the training, you, Marissa Howard, are better than this.鈥�

That pep talk was just what she needed. It helped remind Marisa about her bigger purpose, just as much as packing diapers, toys, and pajamas for Kai did before she and Jeff made the eight-hour drive to Eugene for the Olympic Trials.

In her semi-final heat at the trials on June 24, Marisa ran aggressively and finished second behind Gabbi Jennings in 9:26.38. After the race, she said she was looking forward to the final, but, for the moment, was most interested in making sure Kai got to bed on time.

Running with purpose and caring for her son emboldened her for the final, where she ran with conviction among the top five before moving into the lead briefly with a lap to go. In what was a thrilling final lap, Val Constien retook the lead and sprinted to victory down the homestretch in an Olympic Trials-record 9:03.22, followed by a surging Courtney Wayment (9:06.50) and a determined Marisa (9:07.14) as the top nine finishers all set new personal bests.

 

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鈥淢y husband and I talk about competitive greatness: You want to rise to the occasion when everyone else is at their best. So it鈥檚 like, gosh, I was able to do it! I think a lot of it for me has always been about having my priorities in place. I鈥檓 a Christian first, and then a wife, and then a mom, and then a runner. And I think if I keep those in that line, that鈥檚 where I see success,鈥� Marisa says.

鈥淚鈥檝e sat next to gold medalists and other high-level athletes in chapels before U.S. championship races and they鈥檝e told me, 鈥業鈥檝e won that gold medal and it doesn鈥檛 fill that void in my heart.鈥� And just knowing that a medal or success isn鈥檛 going to change you, ultimately, you have to be secure in who you are. So just remembering where my priorities lie helps to kind of keep me grounded.鈥�

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Leo Neugebauer had a grueling schedule at the Paris Olympic Games. As a decathlete, the German multisport athlete , who was a three-time NCAA champion for the University of Texas, competed in the 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400 meters, 110-meter hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and 1500 meters over the course of just two days.

But as a Nike athlete, Neugebauer also had a leg up on the competition.

Just a five-minute drive from Stade de France you鈥檒l find the Nike Athlete House. Walk in, past two towering orange statues of Lebron James and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and guests are instantly transported into a luxurious, two-floor oasis, complete with swoosh-laden rugs and plush furniture, bright lighting and calm tones reminiscent of your favorite spa, and everything an athlete could need to look and perform their best.

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At least that鈥檚 the goal, says Tanya Hvizdak, Vice President of Global Women鈥檚 Sports Marketing at Nike. Complete with everything from specialty stations for barber, nail, makeup, and tooth gem appointments, to physical therapy and recovery services, plus spaces to unwind with family, and even a nursery鈥攖he hospitality locale is on a whole new level from any other Olympic activation the brand has done before.

鈥淲hat we provide has certainly evolved from this mode of sponsorship to partnership,鈥� Hvizdak says, noting that some athletes stop by the house more than once a day. 鈥淲e鈥檙e listening to the voice of the athlete around what their expectations are and what their needs are.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of a sanctuary,鈥� adds Tobie Hatfield, Senior Director of Athlete Innovation at Nike. 鈥淲e want this to be the place where athletes come to get ready for their competition.鈥�

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Just Doing It

Nike鈥檚 not the only brand to go to great lengths to make their athletes comfortable. Varying in size and offerings, other major players including Puma, Asics, On, New Balance, and Oakley have full-service locations dedicated to their athletes, plus their entourages. Where Nike comes out on top, though, is their proximity to the competition.

Set in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis, about a mile and a half north of city limits and five miles north of the Louvre, Stade de France sits quite a ways away from much of the Olympic action at the heart of the city. The Athlete Village is relatively close by, but still a 15- to 20-minute bus ride鈥攁ssuming bus drivers don鈥檛 take any wrong turns, as athletes stand for up to an hour on cramped buses during the Games.

Relaxing pre-race and recovering immediately after are critical to success on the world stage, something Nike officials readily understand.

鈥淭he planning of this space began over three years ago when we were looking at the city, having an understanding of where things like the Athlete Village and track and field were going to be taking place,鈥� says Hvizdak. 鈥淭he number one priority for us was being in a location that was going to be in close proximity to the athletes.鈥�

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The Royal Treatment

While I wasn鈥檛 able to time my trip to the house so that I could sit in the Nike x Hyperice boots and vests next to medalists like Jordan Chiles, Sha鈥機arri Richardson, or Fred Kerley鈥攁ll whom shared their trips to the space on social media鈥攊t鈥檚 certainly getting a lot of foot traffic.

The space also offers catering for breakfast and lunch. With reports that the food and conditions in the Athlete Village leave something to be desired, Nike鈥檚 culinary staff took it upon themselves to ensure that they had the food game on lock, including tantalizing yet nutritious options like (on the day I visited) grilled salmon and pepper tartlets, vegetable pie, beef moelleux, and noodle salad.

鈥淪omething that was requested shortly after we opened was to-go boxes of food,鈥� says Hvizdak, who adds that the meals are definitely a highlight for the folks who come through. 鈥淪o, we鈥檙e now offering takeaway options. Plus, we even changed the hours to stay open later per the athletes鈥� request.鈥�

And of course鈥攊n the true extravagant nature of the space, what鈥檚 a good time without a parting gift? Athletes have the option of shopping through the Jacquemus x Nike collection, other new offerings, and to design a hoodie using a new proprietary AI tool on digital tablets鈥攕et to potentially launch in-store at a later date.

Neugebauer walked into the Nike House before his competition just to sniff it out. But he was sold after snagging some of the recovery tools to use during his downtime before his daunting 10-event competition.

鈥淚 took the Hyperice boots to my hotel room and used them before, during, and after my decathlon,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he second time I went through the house, I got to do all the fun stuff like customize my own Nike hoodie, it was amazing. And when I heard they had a barber, I was like oh my god, I got a fresh cut., I looked good. I think that鈥檚 important. I looked good, and I did good.鈥�

The royal treatment apparently paid off. On August 3, Neugebauer earned the silver medal.

 

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My main memory of the Olympic Sport Climbing event in is that it was (a) confusing, and (b) a shambling mess. I came away feeling that the organizers鈥� incomprehensible decision to jam two totally different sports together鈥攕peed climbing, with its emphasis on moving quickly up an easy route, and lead and bouldering, with their emphasis on 鈥攅nded up creating an event that was unfair to just about every athlete participating in it.

Luckily, there are two major differences between the Olympic Sport Climbing event (singular) that debuted in Tokyo three years ago and the Sport Climbing events (plural) that we鈥檙e watching in Paris this week.

Speed Is Now Its Own Event

Paris 2024 has two Sport Climbing events, with speed athletes competing for one gold medal while Boulder & Lead athletes vie for another. Is this a big deal? Emphatically yes. In a 2021 article I wrote that to ask a speed athlete to compete in Boulder & Lead is less like asking a 100-meter runner to compete in the marathon than asking a short track speed skater to compete in figure skating鈥攖wo radically different sports that happen to involve ice. I still believe that. And, as evidence, I point to the fact that no athlete in Paris is competing in both the Speed and the Boulder & Lead Combined events.

Someday, perhaps, the Olympics will emulate the IFSC World Championships and give Sport Climbing four medals (Speed, Boulder, Lead, and Boulder & Lead Combined). But for now, simply carving Speed off makes sense. Many athletes excel at both Boulder and Lead. Janja Garnbret, Adam Ondra, Jakob Schubert, Colin Duffy, Toby Roberts, and Anraku Sorato have all won World Cups in both events鈥攁nd a majority of the climbers in the Olympics have podiumed in both at the World Cup level.

The Combined Format Has a New Scoring Structure

Because Speed is no longer part of the Combined event, the Combined event鈥檚 scoring in Paris relies鈥攊ntuitively鈥攐n athletes accumulating points based upon how far they climb up the boulders and lead walls.

In Tokyo, where Speed was included, this cumulative scoring structure couldn鈥檛 work, since nearly everyone gets to the top of the speed wall. Instead, Olympic organizers devised a ridiculously confusing system in which, at the end of each discipline, climbers were given points correlating to their finishing rank. The combined score was then reached by multiplying the results from each of the disciplines鈥攚ith the lowest three scores earning medals. (For example, Adam Ondra placed fourth in Speed, sixth in Boulder, and second in Lead in the Tokyo Olympic final, so his combined score was 48 (4 x 6 x 2). Alberto Gin茅s L贸pez won gold with a score of 28, having placed first in Speed, seventh in Boulder, and fourth in Lead.) The frustrating鈥攂ut also sort of fascinating鈥攖hing about the multiplication structure was that scores changed drastically with slight variations in finishing order. Whenever a climber passed another climber鈥檚 high point on the lead wall, for instance, everyone else鈥檚 scores changed too, which made following the event intensely anxiety provoking. Reporting on it for Climbing, I watched with a notepad and a calculator at hand, always half convinced that I鈥檇 made an error and was entirely misunderstanding the state of the competition.

In Paris, the scoring is far less convoluted鈥攂ut it鈥檚 still got complexity. The TLDR version is that scoring is based on how far you get up each of the four boulders and the lead route in each round. How logical! But in reality it鈥檚 not quite so simple, so if you鈥檙e not familiar with that yet, read our article

All this is very cool (and good for the sport) for three reasons:

Speed Climbers Don鈥檛 Get Shafted

Before 2016, when Sport Climbing鈥檚 inclusion in the Olympics was first announced, Speed walls were quite rare in commercial climbing gyms in the United States鈥攁nd speed climbing was generally considered some weird aberration popular only in Iran and Indonesia and various post-Soviet nations. As a result, U.S. viewers tended to interpret Speed鈥檚 inclusion in the Tokyo Combined event based on how it might pollute the results generated by the Boulder and Lead events that we actually cared about. We tended to forget, in other words, that for the speed specialists and their fans, Tokyo was a total disaster. Since their discipline did not prepare them to do well in Lead or Boulder, the math was against them, which meant that only three speed climbers made the finals鈥攖wo by winning semis outright, the third (France鈥檚 Anouck Jaubert) by also topping two boulders in the bouldering round. In finals, Aleksandra Miros艂aw easily won Speed, but鈥攁s she and everyone else understood would happen鈥攚as trounced in the other two rounds and therefore, despite setting a new world record, did not medal.

This year, that鈥檚 not the case. Aleksandra Miros艂aw is back, and she鈥檚 still the best speed climber in the world, and if she performs in quarter finals and finals like she did in Monday鈥檚 semis (where she broke her own world record twice and is pushing the time down toward the 6 second mark), she鈥檒l certainly have a medal to hang on her wall.

• 摆搁别补诲:听]
  

The Combined Event Gains Credibility

In Tokyo, only one male speed specialist, France鈥檚 Bassa Mawem, qualified for finals鈥攂ut after winning the early Speed rounds and ensuring his final slot, he ruptured his bicep on the semifinal lead route. As a result, Mawem wasn鈥檛 able to take place in finals, which basically meant that the remaining seven men, all of whom were specialized boulderers and/or lead climbers, suddenly found that their speed skills actually mattered, which threw a ton of randomness into the event. Ultimately, it was by winning Speed that Alberto Gines Lopez鈥攚ho finished fourth in Lead and seventh in Boulder鈥攖ook Olympic gold, and it was by doing surprisingly well in Speed (he placed fourth) that Adam Ondra was, , in gold medal contention.

Because of the important role that Speed ended up playing in the men鈥檚 field, viewers were left feeling like there was a real disconnect between the event鈥檚 ostensible purpose (identifying the best climber on that particular day) and the tests to which climbers were submitted. If you鈥檇 subtracted the Speed event, for instance, you鈥檇 have gotten very different results, and would have needed a different way of identifying victors. (Nathaniel Coleman won Boulder and came in fifth in Lead; Jakob Schubert came in fifth in Boulder and won Lead; Colin Duffy came in fourth and third respectively; who would have won?)

Retroactively removing Speed from the competition isn鈥檛 particularly fair, of course, since Speed was part of the competition whether people like me like it or not, and since randomness (sometimes in the form of injury) is actually one of the more interesting elements of competitions. Without it we鈥檇 get bored. But the event鈥檚 structure did lead a lot of people to essentially dismiss the results as the fluke byproduct of an Olympic bureaucracy that categorically misunderstood what climbing was about and therefore structured a competition such that it was impossible for the results to actually reflect who the best climber was. 鈥淐ool,鈥� they thought. 鈥淣ow let鈥檚 go back to valuing World Cups.鈥�

Such critics should note, however, that, in the Olympic bureaucracy鈥檚 defense, things went far better in the women鈥檚 field, where two speed specialists鈥擜leksandra Miros艂aw and Anouck Jaubert鈥攎anaged to qualify for finals and then took first and second place in Speed. This, as organizers no doubt intended, left the Bouldering and Lead rounds to operate more or less as their own competition. We turned a blind eye while the speed climbers pretended to try on boulders and routes far harder than they鈥檒l ever climb, and then we watched Janja Garnbret crush absolutely everything as expected.

The Competition Is Easier to Watch鈥攁nd Understand

One of the great problems with Tokyo, as noted above, was that it was incredibly hard to understand the state of the overall competition while watching it鈥攚hich was annoying for climbers like me, but potentially off-putting to non-climbers, who had to endure watching a strange (to them) sport described via a and scored via an incomprehensible (to everyone) scoring system. Now, thanks to the new scoring format, it鈥檚 pretty easy to follow the state of the competition. Sure, if you鈥檙e an English major like me, you may still want to keep your calculator handy鈥攂ut for the rest of you, it鈥檚 just addition. How hard can it get?

Note: If you鈥檙e interested in an in-depth analysis of why the Tokyo Olympics kinda sucked in a fascinating way, check out my 2021 story, 聽 It describes how Adam Ondra went from probably winning gold to taking sixth聽 place when, thanks to some brilliant climbing by Jakob Schubert, he came in second rather than first in Lead. It also, as the title suggests, demonstrates how the speed specialists were even more disadvantaged by the combined structure than the lead climbers.

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No one expected breakdancing鈥攖he street dancing style that incorporates head spins and freeze moves鈥攖o ever become an Olympic sport. Even members of the World DanceSport Federation, the governing body of competitive dancing, were surprised to learn in 2020 that “breaking,” as it is called, had been added to the lineup for the 2024 Games in Paris.

鈥淚t was a shock to everybody,鈥� says Martin Gilian, a member of the World DanceSport Federation, and one of nine judges who will score the Olympic breaking competition on August 9 and 10. 鈥淲e had no idea how we got into the Youth Olympics in 2018 and suddenly we were finding out we鈥檇 be in Paris.鈥�

The truth is that breaking has resonated with younger audiences since it was born on the streets of New York City’s South Bronx more than 50 years ago. In fact, as an original element of hip-hop鈥攁longside deejaying, emceeing, and graffiti鈥攂reaking has never stopped pushing boundaries. Is it an art form or a sport? Debate it all you want, but to me, it鈥檚 clear that breaking is both.

Breaking’s inclusion in the 2024 Summer Games is nod to the graffiti we see in Europe鈥檚 first collection of modern and contemporary art at Centre Pompidou in Paris; and to the rap of this year鈥檚 Olympic hype men Snoop Dogg and MC Solaar of France. I’m pretty much obsessed with breaking’s Olympic debut. Drawn to its combination of history, physical strength, and creative expression, I’ll be in the stands at the Paris Olympics on August 9, cheering on the athletes, which fans call “B-Girls” and “B-Boys.” On La Concorde in the heart of Paris, next to BMX freestyle, skateboarding, and 3X3 basketball, in one big 鈥渉ip hop celebration鈥� breaking will take place outdoors in an urban park. Here’s what to know about the newest Olympic event:

How the Competition Works

Breaking’s top athletes draw from thousands of tricks, and they improvise signature moves never performed by anyone in competition until the Olympics. Athletes will be judged on their technique, dance vocabulary, execution, musicality, and originality, with each category counting for 20 percent of overall score.

On August 9, 17 B-Girls will face off in one-on-one 60-second dance battles. Among them will be 35-year-old American Grace Sun “Sunny” Choi, who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s business school. Also in the lineup is 21-year-old Manizha “Jawad” Talash, a refugee and Afghanistan鈥檚 first female breaker who fled the Taliban, as well as Italian Antilai Sandrini, who goes by the name “B-Girl Anti,” and is an artistic gymnast and cheerleader-turned breaker who is also a competitive Kung Fu athlete.

Then, on August 10, 16 B-Boys will follow the same format, laying down flips and flares. According to Gilian, the event borrows some DNA from martial arts and gymnastics. “Breakers are always trying to evolve and make their own signature moves,鈥� he says. In this evolving and improvisational sport, breakers introduce personalized moves from the main elements of standing moves, called “top rock,” floor moves, called “down rock,” and freeze, which is holding a pose in an unusual position.

鈥淚t’s about improvisational storytelling, following a concept throughout the entire round. For example, a dancer could hold his chin the entire round, even while going down on the floor in a power move (a twist and spin)鈥� says Gilian. 鈥淥r he might hear the sound of a bird that inspires him to express the sound throughout the dance. It鈥檚 as creative as possible.鈥�

In a round robin, the top two from each of the four men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 groups will advance to the quarterfinals, then semis, and a best-of-three final for the medals, putting on a show for the Olympic audience while they can. Sadly, breaking is expected to be left off the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Getting fired up is necessary at this new Olympic sport that relies more on audience participation than other Olympic events.鈥淥ne of the most important things to the sport is creating an atmosphere so the dancers can interact with the audience,鈥� says Gilian 鈥淲e don’t want you to just come and watch. You really need to be involved if you鈥檙e there and make some noise because the better the atmosphere, the better the performance.鈥�

Breaking is also the only Olympic event where the judges get to perform. 鈥淲e’re paying a tribute to hip-hop culture, so at the end we’ll dance to a live rapper, while the DJ spins the music,鈥� says Gilian, who goes by the breaking name B-Boy MG鈥攁ll the judges double as breakers and Gilian, who used to compete, is also a rapper.

The Hip-Hop History

Gilian first witnessed breaking in 2004 in a Run DMC MTV music video as a student at Florida International University (Florida, a breaking hub, is also home of Olympic medal hopeful B-Boy 鈥淰ictor鈥� Montalvo). But of course breaking dates back to the 1969 gang activity in the South Bronx, when instead of taking a swing at each other, each side would pretend to fight in a dance battle.

As the story goes, on August 11, 1973, a Jamaican immigrant who went by DJ Kool Herc鈥攖he godfather of hip hop culture鈥攚as performing at an apartment and invited party goers to dance during percussive “breaks’ in his music. From the Black and Latino neighborhood street culture in New York City in the 1980s, the term 鈥渂reaking鈥� evolved in the media into 鈥渂reakdancing鈥� after the popular Rock Steady B-Boys and the B-Girls rose up in pop culture while touring the world stage. And as breaking faded from urban America in the 1990s, it was picking up in its first organized competitive world circuit heavily centered around Europe鈥攚ith the first major global 鈥淏attle of the Year鈥� in Germany in 1990, followed by the first Red Bull breaking competition in 2001.

An Olympic Underdog

In 2016, the World DanceSport Federation proposed several competitive dancing styles to organizers of the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The federation hoped that one would be chosen, and Gilian and others believed that Latin dancing might be singled out. When the International Olympics Committee, which oversaw the event, chose breaking 鈥渋t came as a surprise, but was extremely popular for some reason,鈥� Gilian remembers.

In 2020, when breaking was officially added to the 2024 Paris Games, the decision drew some pushback. Critics argued that dancing wasn’t a sport. It wasn’t the first time the Olympics had to consider art as competition. Between 1912 and 1948, the Olympics included competitive events in the artistic categories of architecture, literature, music, painting, and sculpture.

Officials with the IOC and World DanceSport Federation faced plenty of hurdles to get breaking ready for the Olympics: standardizing rules and judging while maintaining the sport鈥檚 artistic side. Rules require DJs to pick the same song at random for both dancers. The hosts, who narrate the competition on the mic, maintain a central role as physically close to the breakers on the dance floor as possible.

鈥淲e made sure that the audience could get as close as possible, so they could feed off the energy of the crowd and maintain the true essence of breaking. The IOC really came through and we鈥檝e accomplished that,鈥� says Gilian. He says that breaking has experienced a resurgence in popularity since it was announced as an Olympic sport.

鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing all around the world that parents are more motivated to get their kids into the breaking鈥攁nd nine and 10 year olds are learning basic moves in as little as two days that took me 10 or 11 months to master,鈥� says Gilian. 鈥淭here鈥檚 been a huge growth in the last few years all around the world, especially in Asia, Europe, and Latin America.鈥�

Breakers to Watch in Paris

The B-Girls

B-Girl Sunny: Grace Sunny Choi is a former gymnast who picked up breaking as a student at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania Wharton School. After graduating, she began battling in world-wide competitions, going on to win silver at the 2022 World Games.

B-Girl Ayumi: With a recent win at the Olympic Qualifier in Shanghai, 2021 world champion Fukushima Ayumi of Japan is one to watch out for. At age 41, this veteran has the dynamics (transitions between down and up rock) and the experience to go far.

B-Girl Ami: Ami Yuasa, of Japan, was introduced to hip-hop at age six. Today, the 25 year old is known for her footwork and flow (the art of combining moves in a creative and rhythmic way), after taking world championship titles in 2019 and 2022 and making the Red Bull BBC One World Final in 2023.

B-Girl India: India Sardjoe, of the Netherlands, has been breaking since age 7鈥攚hile also playing football as the only girl on an all-boys’ team. Today, she鈥檚 fearlessly competing at age 16 as one of the youngest Olympic Athletes, after winning gold in the 2023 European Games.

B-Girl Nicka: This Lithuanian breakdancer is only 17 years old yet she鈥檚 the current world champion. Dominika Banevic has it all鈥搗ocabulary, dynamics, flavor, and form and could take the win.

The B-Boys

B-Boy Victor: Victor Montalvo, 30, is living the dream of his father Victor Bermudez and his uncle Hector Bermudez鈥攖win-brother breaking pioneers who helped popularize the sport in Mexico in the 1980s. After growing up in Florida, he鈥檚 the current world champion. Expect traditional style with loads of signature moves.

B-Boy Hong 10: Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, Kim Hong-Yul, 40, is a three-time Red Bull BC One champion with experience on his side. Loaded with an arsenal of innovative moves鈥攁rguably the most original in the game鈥攈e鈥檚 one to watch.

B-Boy Shigekix: This Olympic flag carrier from Japan is a Red Bull BC One All Star and the 2020 Red Bull BC One champion. Shigeyuki Nakarai is a former freestyle dancer known for his control and fast power moves (using the whole body in a rotational move while balancing on the hands, elbows, head, or shoulders).

B-Boy Phil Wizard: Canada鈥檚 Philip Kim was once a kid watching breaking in the street shows of downtown Vancouver. He took up the sport and went on to win gold at the 2022 World Championships and the 2023 Pan American Breaking Championships, also taking silver in the 2023 World Championships.

B-Boy Lithe-ing: China’s Qi Xiangyu, 19, is the new kid on the block coming up quickly after becoming runner up at the Olympic Qualifier Series in Shanghai and taking fourth at the 2023 World Championships.

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Even before Tuesday’s speed climbing seeding heats at the Paris Olympics, the sport regularly produced jaw-dropping video clips.

Two climbers stand at the base of a 49-foot wall and then rocket upward like Spider Man on a sugar high. The TV camera is stationed behind the climbers, so they look as though they are galloping on all fours across flat ground. But oh no, they’re ascending a sheer man-made rock wall, and boy do they make it look easy.

The latest speed climbing video clip is even more eye-popping than the rest. During the preliminary rounds, American wunderkind Sam Watson broke the world record in the event, reaching the top in 4.75 seconds. The time was 0.04 seconds faster than the previous world record, set by Watson himself back in April. The 18-year-old looks destined to battle for a medal when speed climbing holds its finals in Paris聽on Thursday, August 8.

SAM WATSON IS DIFFERENT

He broke HIS OWN WORLD RECORD to advance to the quarterfinals of men’s speed climbing!

: &

鈥� Team USA (@TeamUSA)

Watson’s time boggles the mind: 4.75 seconds is a tiny duration of time for any physical task, let alone ascending a 50-foot wall.

To add context to Watson’s feat, we at 国产吃瓜黑料 grabbed our stopwatches and set out to determine which banal everyday tasks take longer to complete than this amazing ascent.

1. Texting “What u feel like 4 dinner” to your spouse
2. Putting on a climbing harness
3. Tying both sneakers one sneaker
4. Logging into Peacock
5. Watching an Olympic kayaker paddle around an upstream gate
6. Washing one dirty dinner plate by hand
7. Scraping enough snow off your boot to click into your bindings after a hot chocolate break
8. Lubing your bike chain
9. Chalking up before a climb
10. Downloading the latest Chrome update
11. Explaining the saga of and his unfortunate flop to your bewildered parent
12. Setting up a permanent “Do Not Disturb” status for your work Slack
13. Rocking out to the opening guitar riff of Live Wire by M枚tley Cr眉e
14. Scanning a sweet potato in the self-checkout aisle at Whole Foods
15. Shotgunning a Coors Light La Croix
16. Getting on a chairlift
17. Getting off a chairlift
18. Googling “Simone Biles cute kid video”
19. Uploading the video of your own basic and unimpressive rock climb to Instagram

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