Australia's head of the Paris Olympics reveals the incredibly bizarre rule judges will have to follow in the Games' newest and most controversial sport

One of the newest events at the Paris Olympics will feature a very unusual criterion for judges: they will have to get on the floor and dance to prove they understand the sport before handing out their scores.

Breaking, sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing are the new sports added to the Paris 2024 menu, with breakdancing – also known as breakdancing – considered one of the most unusual newcomers.

Breaking-beat competitive dances such as ballroom and Latin are earning their place in Paris after their participation in the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.

It was a controversial call that prompted Australian squash great Michelle Martin to say the Games have become a “mockery” after her sport was not selected.

Now it has been revealed that the judges will have to demonstrate their own breaking moves to prove they understand the new new Olympic sport – a fact that chef-de-mission Anna Meares of the Australian Olympic team found amusing.

It won't just be the competitors who take to the dance floor when the fighting takes place at the Paris Olympics - the judges will have to prove themselves well

It won't just be the competitors who take to the dance floor when the fighting takes place at the Paris Olympics – the judges will have to prove themselves well

Rachel 'Raygun' Gunn is Australia's leading medal contender and believes judges who prove they can break will help competitors

Rachel 'Raygun' Gunn is Australia's leading medal contender and believes judges who prove they can break will help competitors

Rachel 'Raygun' Gunn is Australia's leading medal contender and believes judges who prove they can break will help competitors

“To be a judge, you actually have to be on the dance floor before the competition starts,” Meares said.

'You have to be able to dance. Pay attention to that, the judges will also have to break out a few moves.

Another big difference will be the way the judges interact with the competitors.

The breaking community is tight-knit and many of them are lifelong friends, which has led to judges being banned from speaking to competitors at previous events.

'I was in Madrid this weekend for a competition and saw dancers I have known for over twenty years. However, I was not able to communicate with them until after the competition proceedings,” said judge Maikel Walker, certified by the World Dance Federation.

Another new element will be the combination of creativity and strict rules as to which sports should be included in the Olympic Games.

This element has led many to question the inclusion of breaking at the Paris Games, as the one-on-one dance battles were previously judged solely on creativity.

Groundbreaking features at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, where judges had the opportunity to apply Olympic rules and statistics to the sport

Groundbreaking features at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, where judges had the opportunity to apply Olympic rules and statistics to the sport

Groundbreaking features at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, where judges had the opportunity to apply Olympic rules and statistics to the sport

It had a trial run at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, where five judges were present assessed the participants on six criteria: creativity, personality, technique, variety, performativity and musicality.

The scoring system assigned a different weight to each, with technique, performativity and creativity accounting for 60 percent of the total score, while variety, musicality and personality accounted for the remaining 40 percent.

After each round, the judges cast their votes and the contestant with the highest points was declared the winner.

Walker said he was confident breaking could be a success even if the rules were enforced.

'I think both worlds can exist in harmony. We have our own platforms that are not the Olympics and the rules there are determined by the community around them,” he said.

'But there is also room for dancers who also want to pursue a sports career as an athlete.'

World Dance Federation Certified Judge Maikel Walker believes the creative and expressive elements of breaking can be combined with the strict rules of the Olympic Games

World Dance Federation Certified Judge Maikel Walker believes the creative and expressive elements of breaking can be combined with the strict rules of the Olympic Games

World Dance Federation Certified Judge Maikel Walker believes the creative and expressive elements of breaking can be combined with the strict rules of the Olympic Games

Walker was a pioneer of breaking and performed in an exhibition at the '04 Athens Games

Walker was a pioneer of breaking and performed in an exhibition at the '04 Athens Games

Walker was a pioneer of breaking and performed in an exhibition at the '04 Athens Games

Australia's leading medal contender Rachael 'Raygun' Gunn welcomed the decision to get judges on the dance floor.

“It's helpful in one respect because you see their specific repertoire and their approach,” she said.

“There are so many different approaches to breaking; you can really specialize in footwork or you can really specialize in strength or you can really specialize in style so it's nice to get a sense of who the judges are and the variation or what the dominant thing is that comes up in the panel.

Sometimes that can give you an idea of ​​what they are looking for, but sometimes not.'