PARIS – In the inaugural Olympic breaking competition held in Paris, veteran B-boy Hongten, legally known as Kim Hong-yul, was eliminated during the group stage at La Concorde 1. Hongten finished third in Group C, with only the top two performers from each group advancing to the quarterfinals.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Hongten faced stiff competition in his group. He began with a loss against Lee of the Netherlands, followed by a mixed outcome against Lagaet of France, and although he needed a complete victory against Jeffro of the United States to advance, he managed to win only one round. The round-robin format proved challenging for Hongten, who acknowledged the pressure of the Olympic stage affected his performance. "I haven't had to deal with nerves recently, and so I figured it wouldn't be any different here. But I ended up getting nervous," he commented, reflecting on the added intensity brought by the iconic setting.
The judging panel, consisting of nine experts, evaluated each performance based on five criteria: vocabulary, technique, execution, originality, and musicality. While Hongten scored high in vocabulary and originality, his execution and musicality were less consistent, which likely impacted his overall standings in the competition. At 39, Hongten is one of the most accomplished South Korean B-boys and a silver medalist from last year's Asian Games.
Despite his early exit, Hongten expressed a mix of disappointment and relief at the conclusion of the event. "I wanted to go a little deeper into the tournament. I wanted to get to the quarterfinals at least," he said. However, he also felt liberated after the intense preparation and competition. Hongten also noted the peculiarity of participating in the Olympics, a platform unfamiliar to him when he first started dancing. He regretted that breaking would not be featured in the next Olympics, reflecting on the missed opportunities for the next generation of dancers.
As he approaches the end of his competitive career, Hongten sees his experience as a call to action for younger dancers in South Korea, emphasizing the need to cultivate new talent capable of competing on the international stage. "I hope more people will take interest in dancing so that we'll have more young performers," he stated, hopeful for future representatives to continue his legacy in breaking.