Who is Victor Montalvo? All about the 30-year-old break-dancer who is representing USA at the Paris Olympics

By Animesh Pandey

Modified Jul 17, 2024 04:13 GMT

Skateboarding, surfing, sports climbing, and break-dancing are now part of the Olympics. What's better, break-dancing world champion Victor Montalvo will now show his skills at the upcoming Paris Olympics. He became the first American dancer to qualify for the quadrennial edition via direct qualification.

Montalvo qualified for the Paris Olympics by winning the gold medal at the WDSF World Championships held in Leuven, Belgium last year. The 30-year-old dancer from Florida, nicknamed 'Victor', is yet to come to terms that he would be presenting the USA at the Summer Olympics.

To quote Victor Montalvo:

"I feel in shock. I can't believe I won. I lost the last three Olympic qualifying events. I kept on placing third, and I was just kind of discouraged. I'm like, All right, can I do it? Is it still possible for me to win one of these events? And yeah, [I] just kept my composure. I was grounded and I made sure that I showed that I wanted it more. This was my only chance, and I gave it my all." [via Olympics.com]

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Victor Montalvo's Family & Hometown

Victor Montalvo was born on January 5, 1994, in Orlando, Florida. His ancestry belongs to Mexico. His father, Victor Bermudez, was an accomplished B-boy dancer in his own right, though his mother Maria Montalvo, didn't exactly share the same sentiments.

Victor Montalvo currently lives in the town of Kissimmee, Florida.

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Victor Montalvo: Early Life & Education

Although Victor Montalvo was attracted to breaking by the age of six, it wasn't until the age of 11 that he took the sport seriously. He was supported by his father, who couldn't accomplish his own dreams of going pro, and decided to support his son's aspirations.

He was further supported by the B-Boy legend Mex One. To quote Victor himself:

"MexOne was mentoring me for three months. He made me believe in myself. He was the main person that really subconsciously put it in my head without knowing.."

Victor Montalvo completed his early education from Gateway High School in Kissimmee, Florida, in 2011-12.

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Victor Montalvo's achievements in Break Dancing

Victor Montalvo competing at the WDSF World Championships 2023 [Image Source: Getty]

Victor Montalvo's first achievement came at the young age of 14. He had won the then Red Bull BC One Tampa Cypher. Within a few years, Montalvo became one of the greatest break dancers in the USA.

In 2015, Montalvo won his first Red Bull BC One World Championship, a victory he considers the most important since he dedicated the championship belt to his father. In his words:

"I did it for my family. I had a lot of doubts in my mind. My dad was like, 'I always wanted to be a champion. Come on, you got this.' After winning this, he was so proud of me. He was crying. He was like, 'Man, I'm so proud.' "

Victor Montalvo also won the Red Bull BC One World Championship in 2022, before he went on to win the gold medal at the 2023 WDSF World Championships, thus, directly qualifying for Paris Olympics 2024.

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Victor Montalvo on Breaking's Future in Olympics

Though Montalvo is excited to participate in this sport, he is disappointed with breaking's exclusion from the upcoming Los Angeles Olympics in 1928. However, he is optimistic about the opportunities that would open for aspiring dancers after this event.

"When you tell someone that breakdancing is in the Olympics, they think about headspins on the cardboard. It's evolved: the moves are faster, stronger," he said. [via Forbes]

Victor Montalvo would be competing alongside the likes of teammate Jeffrey Louis, Shigeyuki Nakarai of Japan, and Kim Yong-Hul aka Hong 10 of South Korea for the coveted gold medal in Breaking at the Paris Olympics. The competition will be held at Place de la Concorde on August 9 and 10.