2023 WDSF World Breaking Championship in Leuven: Preview, full schedule and how to watch action live

Paris 2024

The top 150 B-Boys and 100 B-Girls from around the globe will battle it out in Leuven, Belgium, on 23-24 September: at stake will be medals and two quota spots for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. You can catch all the action live on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the official Olympics app.

By Lorena Garcia Encabo

The university town of Leuven in Belgium, will set the stage for the 2023 WDSF World Breaking Championship.

On 23-24 September, the 150 best B-Boys and 100 B-Girls will also compete for two quota spots for Paris 2024, one for each gender.

National Olympic Committees hold exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games. Therefore, the participation of athletes in the Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation in Paris 2024.

Having made its first appearance at the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018, breaking is now making its official Olympic debut at Paris 2024 with a total of 32 athletes (16 men and 16 women) competing in the iconic Place de la Concorde on 9-10 August.

Don’t want to miss the live action? You can watch it right here.

How to qualify for breaking at Paris 2024

Is breaking an art or a sport? B-boys and B-girls have the answer

WDSF World Breaking Championship 2023: Stars to watch

The WDSF World Breaking Championship is a closed event, meaning that athletes themselves cannot register. Instead, national federations are responsible for selecting a maximum 2 men and 2 women to represent their country at the fourth edition of the event.

On the women’s side, Japan aim to top the podium once again, as they have in all previous editions. B-Girl Ami will try to defend her crown in Leuven, and 40-year-old B-Girl Ayumi looks to prove why she’s considered a breaking legend. They will face tough competition from European champion and world-ranked No.3 B-Girl Nicka of Lithuania, who, at just 14, has established herself as one of the top contenders.

Meanwhile, local favourites B-Girl Mad Max and B-Girl Camine are expected to receive the support of the home crowd.

Canada’s B-Boy Phil Wizard arrives to Belgium as the world No.1 and 2022 World Champ, with Japan’s B-Boy Shigekix – runner-up in Seoul in 2022 – closely following him as world No. 2 in the rankings.

Kazakhstan’s B-Boy Amir will be another prominent figure in the breaking scene competing in Leuven.

B-Boy Amir: My unique style in breaking

WDSF World Breaking Championship 2023 in Leuven: Schedule

Times are local (CET)

Friday 22 September

Official training day

Saturday 23 September

12:30 B-Boys and B-Girls Preselection (1 on 1)

15:45 B-Boys and B-Girls Top 64 (1 on 1)

18:45 B-Boys Top 32 (1 on 1)

20:30 B-Girls Top 32 (1 on 1)

Sunday 24 September

12:00 Opening Ceremony

14:00 B-Girls Top 16 (Round Robin)

16:00 B-Boys Top 16 (Round Robin)

18:30 B-Boys and B-Girls Top 8 (Best of 3)

19:15 B-Boys and B-Girls Top 4 (Best of 3)

20:15 B-Boys and B-Girls 3rd Place (3 rounds)

20:35 B-Boys and B-Girls Final (3 rounds)

21:00 Medal Ceremony

Breaking

23 – 24 Sep

Breaking | Olympic Qualifier | World Championship | Leuven – Belgium

Breaking | Olympic Qualifier | World Championship | Leuven

How to watch the WDSF World Breaking Championship 2023

Watch the action live on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the official Olympics app for mobile devices. Territorial restrictions may apply.

If you are a breaking fan, do not miss the Olympic Channel Original series Breaking Life.

Olympic.org