What happened to the Olympic millions for breaking?

The Switzerland-based World DanceSport Federation stands accused of misusing breaking to push its own traditional ballroom and Latin dance styles into the Olympics. But it failed. An investigation by Swiss public broadcaster SRF reveals a story of power plays, opaque cash flows and dodgy deals.
Breakers spinning mid-air, hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg lighting up the ceremonial opening, and a stadium buzzing with fans: breaking made its debut with a bang at the Paris Olympics last summer. As some of the world’s top breakers battled it out, it wasn’t their moves that had everyone talking. Instead, Australian breaker Raygun’s unconventional performance became the defining moment of the Games.
These scenes of Raygun remain in our memories:
Behind the scenes, another storm was brewing. Breaking is represented by a body with no prior history with the dance. The Lausanne-based World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) is traditionally focused on Standard (or ballroom) and Latin dance. But it brought breaking to the Olympic Games in Paris.
Disappointed breakers
Niels Robitzky, also known as “Storm”, is a prominent figure in the breaking community who enjoys legendary status. The WDSF once turned to him for help to bring breaking to the Olympics.
Today, he is one of the federation’s fiercest critics. Storm argues that the WDSF never embraced breaking, silenced critical voices and seized control. Indeed, SRF Investigativ’s findings show that breaking was used as a pawn in the WDSF’s bid to push traditional dances into the Olympics – a plan that ultimately failed.
‘Breakdance’ or ‘breaking’?
The term “breaking”, rather than “breakdance”, is used to refer to the sport. Dancers call themselves breakers or, more specifically, B-Boys and B-Girls.
The presidium’s plan
It’s a harsh accusation but one that WDSF President Shawn Tay from Singapore essentially substantiates. Tay took the helm in 2018 after having served as secretary-general and vice-president of the federation. Preparations for the 2024 Summer Olympics were already in full swing when Tay revealed his plans to bring breaking to the Games.
In an email addressed exclusively to the presidium (executive committee), and seen by SRF Investigativ, Tay wrote: “Breaking could be our ticket to the Olympics. […] We need to use Breaking as our chance for Std or Latin to be accepted.”
Tay also emphasised that breaking should not cost too much money and that it needed to be “protected from the hands of others”. In other words, he wanted the WDSF to have a say over breaking and keep control. When contacted for a comment, the federation responded that it had already invested a significant amount of money in breaking by that time and that there was widespread concern about Standard and Latin dance suffering as a result.

Breakers, however, feel poorly represented by the federation. “I think everyone in the community knows that the federation is not the be-all and end-all,” explains top breaker Jilou from Germany, who says she values the community and culture. The 33-year-old says the core values of breaking – peace, love and unity – could be felt in the battles.
Breaking originated on the streets of New York in the 1970s. In neighbourhoods dominated by gangs and violence, it offered young African-Americans a peaceful way to compete against each other.
Years later, the media discovered “breakdance”, as they called it, and made it mainstream. Drinks producers such as Red Bull capitalised on the cool image of breakers and invested large sums of money in marketing and events.
True breaking, however, remained underground for a long time. It was organised by communities and not by federations, in contrast to ballroom dancing.
To dance at the Olympics
WDSF members do not usually meet at breaking battles in crowded arenas but in posh mirrored ballrooms. They glide across the floor clad in coattails and dazzling gowns, and embody values and traditions different from those of the breakers. So why does the WDSF have a say over breaking?
It all began with the dream of dancing at the Olympics – a dream that was not born in breaking arenas but in those mirrored ballrooms. The WDSF had long wanted, but failed, to make Standard and Latin dance Olympic disciplines.
To make this dream come true, the federation hired a sports manager with good connections to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The manager made it clear: couples dancing had no chance. If dance were to be included, he says, it would have to be a style that resonates with young people – in other words, a dance with a cool image, like breaking.
The sports manager hedged a plan. The WDSF is the only federation the IOC recognises for dance sports. Without it, neither breaking nor any other dance style would make it to the Olympics. To meet the IOC’s requirements, the federation welcomed the breaking community into its fold with breaking legend Storm at the helm.
“The WDSF came in and had no clue about breaking. We knew that bringing breakers on board was a key requirement of the IOC,” he says. But Storm believed in the project in those early stages.
The resistance
The culture clash between breaking and ballroom dance also sparked opposition. In 2017, a petition with over 2,000 signatures called on the IOC to end its collaboration with the WDSF on breaking. The petition stated that breaking “has absolutely nothing to do with the antiquated officials at the WDSF”. At the time, the federation had already come under fire for using breaking as a stepping stone to push ballroom dancing into the Olympics.
Meeting minutes reveal that it’s not just the breakers who are unhappy with the situation. Many ballroom dancers oppose the idea of using federation funds for a discipline that had no prior connection with the WDSF. In fact, the financial strain caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, coupled with the expenses for breaking, put the federation’s finances under pressure. By 2020, the WDSF reached a financial low.
A sponsoring fiasco
By the end of 2020, the sports manager and the WDSF leadership had spent several months negotiating a deal with drinks company Red Bull to collaborate on events. But suddenly, the federation decided to pull out of the deal. Among the reasons: Red Bull did not want to pay the WDSF directly, a condition the presidium refused to accept.
Although the leadership seemed unfazed and labelled the collapsed deal as a chance to form new partnerships, it failed to secure any sponsoring deal after the fiasco.
This sparked fierce discussions and criticism within the federation. Not long after, the sports manager who brokered the deal parted ways with the WDSF – dealing it a major blow, as he was a key figure who first united the breakers and the federation.
“That’s when things started to get difficult,” Storm recalls. At the time, he was leading a team of experienced breakers tasked with advising the federation. Drawing from his own experience, he believes the federation could have greatly benefitted from Red Bull’s support, especially in organising events.
However, the WDSF sees things differently. It argues that as a commercial organisation, Red Bull sought too much influence and control over breaking at the Olympic Games. To retain its independence, the federation wanted to collaborate directly with the IOC.
The power of the presidium
The situation escalated in 2022 following a WDSF-organised event in Montpellier, France, which Storm was overseeing. “When I arrived at the venue, I saw that despite the scorching temperatures of 40C, one of the stages without a sunroof had a black dance floor. It was hell,” the breaker recalls. “It’s a miracle that nobody suffered any major injuries.”
After the event, Storm and his team drafted a letter to the WDSF outlining their criticisms and demands. One key request was for breakers to be represented on the presidium. While the WDSF agreed, it came with the condition that the federation would decide which breaker they would take on board.
And so, the presidium selected none other than B-Boy Bojin, a breaker who had refused to sign the letter. Appointed without a vote, his position came with a clause that allowed other presidium members to replace him at any time if they so chose.

When contacted, Bojin Cheng responded that some breakers had expressed understanding for his decision not to sign the letter but did not comment on his appointment to the presidium.
Breakers don’t have a say
The other breakers who were also keen to collaborate with the WDSF to make breaking an Olympic discipline were either quietly excluded or chose to end the collaboration themselves. This is how several breakers who had once worked with the WDSF describe the situation, Storm among them.
The WDSF denies excluding critics and claims that the minority of people who now complain have been invited several times to collaborate but have refused to engage with the democratic structures of the federation.
Olympic millions
In the run-up to Paris, the WDSF received substantial funding from the IOC for breaking’s debut at the Olympics. From 2021, the financial support grew annually, for a total budget of CHF3.9 million ($4.25 million). These funds were primarily earmarked for developing breaking as a discipline.
However, annual reports reveal that the federation’s financial reserves increased by a record CHF2 million in the same period, according to figures released before Paris. Interestingly, many breakers told SRF Investigativ that breaking faced significant spending reductions during the same period. Has the federation simply parked the IOC millions?
The WDSF stresses that it supports all dance-sport disciplines and that its financial strategy was in line with IOC guidelines. According to the federation, IOC funds have been appropriately allocated, not only for immediate projects but also for future projects beyond Paris 2024.
Accusations of nepotism and lack of transparency
While it appeared the WDSF was counting every franc when it came to breaking, it showed itself to be more generous in other areas, such as the remuneration of the secretary-general, who is based in Lausanne. The person holding the position, a former ballroom dancer, had an annual salary that nearly doubled between the end of 2021 and mid-2023, from CHF91,000 to CHF175,000. The WDSF justifies this increase by stating it was necessary for his relocation from Spain to Switzerland, and that it was fully deserved.
The appointment of the safeguarding officer is also striking. This is the person responsible for the wellbeing of the athletes, as required by the IOC for the Olympic Games. Members who have experienced violence or sexual abuse can report to the safeguarding officer. It is one of the few paid positions within the WDSF.
The presidium never publicly advertised the position but swiftly handed it to the president’s daughter. No records of this appointment are available. British breaking expert DJ Renegade, who, like Storm, used to advise the WDSF, is blunt in his criticism: “The governance was terrible. There was nepotism.”
The managing committee has also stopped keeping meeting minutes. It is the highest body of the WDSF and includes the president and the vice-president of finance. The committee ceased publishing its minutes in 2021, at the exact moment when preparations for the Olympic Games were in full swing.
The federation argues that under the current leadership, it has taken substantial steps to improve transparency. The president’s daughter, a former top athlete and coach with a Master of Arts in psychology, was highly qualified for the job, it adds. The WDSF further maintains that her father was not involved in the recruitment process and that the IOC was informed before the decision was made.
IOC praises dance federation
The path to the Olympic Games became a debacle for the breaking community. Their discipline will not feature at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Nevertheless, the IOC has backed the federation.
“The WDSF has done an outstanding job in building breaking […] reaching out to the breaking community and involving them in the Olympic pathway towards Paris,” IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell said at a press conference in 2023. At that time it became clear that breaking would not be heading to LA in 2028.
After the Games, IOC president Thomas Bach added: “I would like to thank the WDSF for being such a reliable partner in spreading the Olympic spirit around the world.” Even after SRF Investigativ confronted the IOC with its investigation, the IOC maintained that the federation had done an excellent job.
Athletes are the ones to suffer
Breaking judge DJ Renegade is not surprised that the IOC is backing the WDSF. He believes the Olympic Committee is partly responsible for the debacle. The WDSF denies these allegations and points to its transparent organisational structures.
But it’s the breakers who bear the brunt of the problems within the federation. They criticise the WDSF for not communicating clearly and for occasionally miscalculating evaluation points at events. SRF Investigativ found seven different versions of the regulations in the two years leading up to Paris 2024. The breakers complain that the WDSF either failed to inform them about rule changes or notified them too late.
Breakers claim that not being informed caused some athletes who should have advanced in the qualification round not to qualify. A complaint letter sent by the breakers to the WDSF, which SRF Investigativ has seen, remains unanswered.
The federation says that some dynamic changes to the rules were necessary to address the challenges of introducing a new sport to the Olympic Games; and that these changes were made in consultation with the breaking community.
Breakers call for their own federation
Now the question is, “What’s next?” “We must not allow the WDSF to appropriate breaking as its own,” says B-Girl Jilou. She views the fact that breaking is not going to the LA Olympics as an opportunity to challenge the federation. “As long as the dancesport federation does not allow the breakers to make all the decisions, we need our own federation.”
This is what the WDSF says in detail about the questions:
The article claims that the WDSF had a part in breaking not being considered for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. This is untrue. The truth is that the LA28 Organising Committee had other visions.
The article also claims that the WDSF “misused” breaking to push its own traditional ballroom and Latin dance styles into the Olympics. This is also untrue. The WDSF has been trying since at least 1992 to include all of its recognised dance sports in the Olympic Games (breaking has been recognised by the WDSF as an official dance sport since 2004). Since breaking was accepted as an Olympic dance sport by the IOC for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in 2016, the WDSF has fully supported breaking financially. The WDSF has therefore neither misused nor otherwise neglected this dance sport.
This article was updated on February 10, 2025, to include a counterstatement from the WDSF.
This article was originally published by SRF Investigativ.External link
SRF Investigativ
Janik Leuenberger, Fabian Kohler (authors), Philippe Odermatt (producer), Nina Blaser (project leader)
Storytelling-Desk
Dominique Marcel Iten (editor), Fabian Schwander (front-end development), Marina Kunz (design)
The investigation in video form:
Adapted from German by Billi Bierling/gw

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