What are the World Breaking Championships?
Breaking's world title, awarded by the World DanceSport Federation since the inaugural edition in Nanjing on 23 June 2019, which drew more than two hundred breakers from 66 nations. Two categories are contested — B-Boys and B-Girls — in one-on-one knockout battles judged on the WDSF Trivium system, with qualifying rounds cutting to a top 16 and then a top 8.[1] [2]
| Season | Pool / Format | Host cities |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Shigekix (JPN) · Royal / Guo Pu (CHN) | Kurume, Fukuoka (JPN) — all three B-Boy medals Japanese |
| 2024 | Issin (JPN) · India (NED) | Chengdu (CHN) |
| 2023 | Victor (USA) · Nicka (LTU) | Leuven (BEL) |
| 2022 | Phil Wizard (CAN) · Ami (JPN) | Seoul (KOR) |
| 2019 | Menno (NED) · Ami (JPN) | Nanjing (CHN) — inaugural, 66 nations |
| 2026 | — scheduled | Paris, Adidas Arena, 4–6 December |
Recent editions — B-Boy and B-Girl world champions.
How do breakers qualify?
Through a national federation, with a valid WDSF athlete licence. Places are earned on the Breaking for Gold World Series and International Series and at continental championships, with a national quota per country and the WDSF world ranking setting seeding and additional entries. Separate WDSF world titles exist for youth 1v1 and for 3v3 crews, staged as their own championships.[1] [3]
Olympic status — stated plainly
Breaking made its Olympic debut at Paris 2024 and is not on the LA28 programme; Los Angeles chose its additional sports in October 2023, before breaking had appeared at a Games, so it was never dropped in the ordinary sense. On 21 August 2026 the WDSF formally submitted a proposal for breaking's inclusion at Brisbane 2032.[3] [4]
Who wins?
Japan, overwhelmingly, in the men's field — all three B-Boy medals at Kurume 2025 went to Japanese breakers, with Shigekix taking the title. The women's title has moved around: Ami of Japan won the first two, and recent champions include Nicka of Lithuania, India of the Netherlands and, in 2025, China's Royal.[2] [4]
References
- WDSF — World DanceSport Federation. Accessed August 2026.
- WDSF — Kurume 2025 World Breaking Championships results. Accessed August 2026.
- WDSF — Paris confirmed as host of the 2026 World Championships. Accessed August 2026.
- WDSF — proposal for breaking at the Brisbane 2032 Olympics. Accessed August 2026.