The Paris Olympics 2024 got more interesting with the introduction of a new sport: ‘breaking’. Several rising stars have performed on the stage until now, and Victor Montalvo is fortunately one of them. Anyone who has previously followed breaking and other dance battles doesn’t need to be separately introduced to the Florida-born dancer.

Now, he is out there at the Olympics, representing the United States on the grand stage. Despite being the dominant name in the global breaking circuit, Montalvo may not have shown up in Paris this year. This is because of the fallout that he had with the sport.

Victor Montalvo had to fall in love with the Olympic sport again

Montalvo’s father also had a keen interest in breaking, but he did not get to pursue it further due to unforeseen events. His son carried the legacy and love for breaking and moved ahead with full force. Victor Montalvo eventually established himself well on the circuit with his display of artistic movements to hip-hop beats. Being an international champion didn’t stop his experience from being monotonous.

“I lost the love of it. I was like, ‘Man, I gotta stay away from breaking.’ Maybe it was the events, maybe the music, but it didn’t feel the same,” Montalvo told Red Bull. He took a much-needed break from the sport in 2020 due to the pandemic. This is when he broke his pattern, and the distance allowed him to love breaking again.

He took a ‘sabbatical’ from his b-boying career after this. Montalvo regrouped with his family in Florida during this time and also joined Kateryna Pavlenko in visiting her family in Europe. Taking up different activities also helped Montalvo overcome the rote feeling he was getting, which has since been on a constant rise.

If he secures a medal for the United States, it won’t only be for his country but also as a reply to the loss that Pavlenko suffered.

Pavlenko suffered heartbreak at the Paris Olympics

Ukrainian Kateryna Pavlenko faced 671 from China in the Quarterfinals 3 during the B-girl event at the Paris Olympics. Unfortunately, the European talent lost to her opponent, failing to even compete for the bronze medal. This heartbreak was not only personal for Ukraine but also for American fans because Pavlenko found shelter in a Western country when she wanted to pursue breakdancing further outside his nation and explore more opportunities. If it wasn’t for her stay in the States, we may not have seen her become the incredible athlete that she is now.

Both Victor Montalvo and B-girl Kate are bound together through vows of marriage. So, even though Montalvo must have been upset to see his wife not make it to the top, it will be a shared victory for the couple if the American B-boy secures a medal. So far, he is favored to win gold, and given his excellence and grip on form, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him show up in the finals at all. After the much-needed sabbatical and constant achievements, Victor Montalvo might be coming to conquer the Paris crowd tomorrow. His fate in the quarterfinals tonight will decide the future.

He is up against Amir Zakirov from Kazakhstan for the QF match. Do you think the American will come out victorious?