Mexican breakdancer in pursuit of Olympic gold

PUEBLA, 19 Feb 2023:

An avid breakdancer from the age of 6, Mexico’s Luis Gerardo Deolarte Ortiz never imagined that his passion would become an Olympic discipline. But at 22, he sees himself with a good chance to qualify for the 2024 Games in Paris.

“Niñonino,” as the native of Huejotzingo, Puebla state, is known, said the Olympics’ embrace of breakdancing is a dream come true.

“From childhood I was attracted by sports like diving and track, that I was always seeing on television in the Olympic Games and the moment I learned that breaking could be an Olympic sport, I began to feel and think: if only we can be there,” he said in an interview.

“And since it became official three years ago we have taken the path more seriously, so I’m not going to stop until I achieve the goal,” Niñonino said.

Deolarte has experience in international competition, taking the prize in breaking at the 2019 edition of the Under Pressure urban culture festival in Montreal and finishing in the top four at the Red Bull BC One USA Camp in 2021.

Last year, he won gold at Mexico’s National Games.

Niñonino will travel next week to Kitakyushu, Japan, to take part in the Breaking for Gold World Series, the first round of qualifiers for the 2024 Olympics.

Subsequent qualifying events are set for Spain, Chile, Brazil, Morocco, Canada, Austria, China, Portugal, Poland and Belgium.

The dancer said his greatest challenge is finding the money to afford the cost of travelling to competitions abroad.

“To accomplish the dream we have to overcome the economic obstacle,” he said. “We are focused on the preparation, but resources are fundamental for all athletes in Mexico.”

– EFE