After a weekend of viral videos featuring b-boy and b-girls at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, breaking has crowned the best in the sport from across the globe.
Taking the bronze medal in breaking, which made its debut at this summer’s games, was Victor Montalvo from Team USA. On Saturday (August 10), Montalvo, AKA B-boy Victor, bested B-boy Shigekix of Japan to win bronze. His victory came after three rounds.
“Such a clean form,” an announcer said to describe Montalvo’s first round performance. “Victor really has a timeless style.” Another announcer said Montalvo was a “superhero.”
In the second round, one of the announcers described Montalvo as a “footwork technician” who “focuses on the essence of breaking.”
Finally, in the third round, Montalvo was able to pull away from Shiegkix with some incredible moves that had the announcers saying, “Whoa!” and “He was saving it!” Victor’s response after his last round: “It’s over!”
Montalvo, 30, is of Mexican American descent. He is originally from Orlando, Florida. He got his start in breaking when his father began teaching him at the age of six. His first major victory came in 2011 when he won first place at the Red Bull BC One Cypher competition in Tampa.
“[In breaking], you have to reinvent yourself,” Montalvo said in an interview with USA Today before the Olympics began. “You can’t come with the same moves over and over … again. You have to come up with new styles [and] new concepts.”