Athletes ready to skate, battle and roll

As the newest Olympic sport, and one where art meets athleticism, breaking involves athletes — known as b-boys and b-girls — flipping, spinning and pulling out body-bending gymnastic moves to the beat of hiphop music in one-on-one dance battles.

A judging panel scores the dancers' routines for technique, trick execution, style, originality and, more importantly, synchronization with the soundtrack.

The qualifier series' Shanghai leg will witness a fierce battle for historic entries to Paris, where breaking will take place as an official medal event for the first time since being demonstrated at the 2018 Youth Olympics.

Current men's world No 1 b-boy Kim Heon-woo of South Korea will be one of the biggest stars to watch in Shanghai, alongside Japanese pair Isshin Hishikawa and Hiroto Ono, who are both vying for the one spot left for Japan, with their compatriot Nakarai Shigeyuki already qualifying by winning gold at last year's Hangzhou Asian Games.

On the women's side, Japan's 2021 world champion Ayumi Fukushima, who will be 41 by the time the Paris Games roll around, will battle it out with her compatriots, current world No 1 Ami Yuasa and No 4 Riko Tsuhako, for one of the Japanese places available. Each National Olympic Committee gets two.

As an emerging force in breaking, Chinese dancers, especially b-girls, have gradually made names for themselves on the center stage, with world elite star Liu Qingyi (b-girl 671) having already snatched up an Olympic ticket as Asian Games winner. Her fellow countrywomen Zeng Yingying and Zheng Ziyan will join the Shanghai showcase to measure themselves up against the world's best.

A three-month winter training program has helped prepare Chinese breakers to be 100 percent ready, physically and mentally, for the home qualifier, according to Yin Guochen, president of China Dancesport Federation.

Team captain Shang Xiaoyu, aka b-boy X-Rain, is embracing the qualifier as an invaluable tuneup for him to reach his goals in Paris.

"With many rounds to go at the qualifier series, it will be a great test of our stamina, technique and mental strength. I will try to open the series in Shanghai with flying colors and clinch a ticket to Paris," said the 2018 Youth Olympian.

Formats: B-Boy, B-Girl

Total quota of available spots: 14

Number of athletes: 80