Hongten and Yeopjeon, Sweeping the Olympics [Paris Olympics]

First Olympic Appearance in Breaking with First Gold Medal Challenge
At Age 40, Three-Time Champion of the World's Most Prestigious Competition
Mastery of Power Moves and Style Moves Showcasing Experience
Korean-American Philip Kim and Sunny Choi Also Top Male and Female Contenders

"I will be the first Korean B-boy to win an Olympic medal."

B-boy Kim Hong-yeol (Hongten), in his forties, is showcasing dazzling breaking skills ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
[Photo by Korea Sports Council]

That is the determination of Kim Hong-yeol (stage name Hongten), a B-boy in his forties, as he prepares for the 2024 Paris Olympics. "I will give it my all from the start," he said, raising his voice, "I placed third in the Olympic qualifiers, so I aim to achieve a higher position in the Olympic finals." Breaking for both men and women was officially adopted as an Olympic event for the first time at the Paris Olympics. Hongten is focusing on adaptation training on-site in Paris to become the first Olympic gold medalist.

Hongten is practicing advanced techniques on-site ahead of the group stage of the men's breaking event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. [Paris=AFP·Yonhap News]

Besides Hongten, two other Korean-descended athletes are competing in the Paris Olympics. They are players who fell in love with breaking after watching Hongten dance. All are strong contenders for the championship. In the B-boy category, there is Philip Kim, representing Canada at the Olympics. He is a second-generation immigrant born in 1997 to Korean parents. He ranks first in the Olympic Qualification Ranking by the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF). He began showcasing his skills by finishing as runner-up at the 2021 Red Bull BC One World Final, the most prestigious breaking battle in the world. In 2022, he won the WDSF World Championship held in Seoul. Philip Kim won a gold medal at the Pan American Games last November, securing a direct ticket to the Olympics.

Philip Kim, Canada's national breaking representative, is a world-class athlete who nurtured his dream of becoming a b-boy after watching Hongten.

He skillfully mixes powerful power moves (requiring strong strength and precise technique) and style moves (footwork-based steps matching the music) at the right moments. His repertoire, including toprock and downrock, boasts incredible speed. Each move bursts with strong energy and captivates with creative motions. Although slightly awkward, he can communicate in Korean without major issues. He is also close friends with Korean breaking athletes. Hongten and Philip Kim made headlines in October 2022 with a one-on-one unlimited battle. They continued for 17 consecutive rounds without rest. The intense match ended when a sweat-drenched Philip Kim threw in the towel.

In the B-girl category, Grace Sun Choi (Sunny Choi) from the United States is of Korean descent. Born in 1988, she is a prodigy who graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She was a gymnast in her youth but quit due to injury. She accidentally encountered breaking through a college club in her freshman year and has steadily honed her skills for the past 15 years. Many of the moves are similar to gymnastics, allowing her to adapt quickly. She also excels in creative and free expression.

Sunny Choi won a silver medal at the 2022 WDSF World Championship and reached the semifinals at the Red Bull BC One World Final. Until 2022, she worked as the head of the global creative department at Est?e Lauder, a cosmetics company. She quit the company in January last year to focus on competing in the Paris Olympics. She won a gold medal at last year's Pan American Games, securing direct qualification for the Olympics.

At 36 years old, Sunny Choi competes on the Olympic stage against athletes nearly 20 years younger, such as 17-year-old Dominika Banievich (Lithuania) and 18-year-old Liu Qingyi (China). She plans to showcase the strength of a veteran using moves like the two-thousand (a technique where one hand supports a handstand axis while the other hand holds the wrist of the supporting hand and spins around) and headspin (a technique of spinning on the head with the crown as the axis).

Hongten (right) is posing on the podium with 2nd place Amir Zakirov (left) and 1st place Leirau Demir after finishing 3rd at the Olympic Qualifier Series 2nd tournament held in Budapest, Hungary, last June.

Breaking will be held on the 10th (local time), with the round-robin of the round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, finals, and bronze medal match all conducted in one day. Hongten secured his spot in the Olympic finals by finishing second overall in the Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) 1st and 2nd tournaments held in May and June. There are 16 athletes participating in the breaking event at the Paris Olympics. They are divided into four groups of four for the round-robin round of 16. The top two from each group advance to the knockout stage. Hongten is in Group C, where he will face Jeffrey Lewis (USA), Ga?tan Allin (France), and Leirau Demir (Netherlands) in succession, competing for a place in the quarterfinals.

The oldest competitor in the event, Hongten expressed caution about the group draw: "Demir is the strongest opponent as he ranked first in both OQS tournaments," he said, adding, "Allin is the home favorite, so he will receive cheers while I expect boos." Coach Jeong Hyeong-sik also explained the preparation process: "They are opponents not to be underestimated. Anyone can be eliminated if they let their guard down. We have devised tailored strategies for each opponent."

Born in 1984, Hongten is a B-boy legend. He started breaking in middle school after imitating a simple move shown by a classmate. He has won the Red Bull BC One Final, the world's most prestigious competition, three times?in 2006, 2013, and 2023. Only Kim Hong-yeol and Menno van Horhorst (Netherlands) have achieved three wins in this competition. Kim Hong-yeol won a silver medal at last year's Hangzhou Asian Games. He also served as the flag bearer for the South Korean delegation at the closing ceremony, waving the Taegeukgi.

Hongten expects to become the oldest gold medalist in the breaking event at the 2024 Paris Olympics through a harmony of power moves and style mood.

Hongten's strengths are power moves and style moves. He skillfully blends power moves into his movements as if becoming one with the flow, atmosphere, and beat of the music. On stage, he performs flashy footwork teasing the floor after stepping to the music, and astonishing moves created by momentarily bending his back. His transitions from Thomas (a move where both hands touch the ground while sitting and the hips are lifted to use centrifugal force from the legs to spin) to air tracks (a move where the dancer performs a handstand and spins vigorously with both legs) are exceptional. His freezes (techniques where one or two hands touch the ground and hold a specific pose for several seconds during moves) are also remarkable.

Hongten has poured all his energy into winning an Olympic medal. He underwent final training for about 40 days at the national training center in Jincheon, Chungbuk. At his age, the physical burden is considerable. He sweated more than twice as much as other athletes. "After dancing for about 26 years, I sometimes thought 'I can't win anymore,' but I felt I was still improving. I want to show that even as I get older, I can still compete," he said. He added with a bright smile, "Maybe because I eat well and increased my training volume, my muscle mass has grown a lot. I want to compete soon."