Breaking makes its debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics, but its origins as a sport go back to 1970s New York. Michael Holman formed a group of the most talented breakdancers in the city called 'The New York City Breakers'. He remembers when the crew performed at a salute for the US Olympic team in 1984, where they wrote a proclamation backstage - proposing it should be a future event at the games, with a set of rules to go with it.This is a Whistledown production for the BBC World Service. (Photo: Breakdancers in 1984 in New York, Brooklyn. Credit: Getty Images)

Breaking makes its debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics, but its origins as a sport go back to 1970s New York. Michael Holman formed a group of the most talented breakdancers in the city called 'The New York City Breakers'. He remembers when the crew performed at a salute for the US Olympic team in 1984, where they wrote a proclamation backstage - proposing it should be a future event at the games, with a set of rules to go with it. This is a Whistledown production for the BBC World Service. (Photo: Breakdancers in 1984 in New York, Brooklyn. Credit: Getty Images)

Bringing breaking to the world stage

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded.Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.

Sports

History

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded. Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.

Share Bringing breaking to the world stage

Sign up to save your podcasts

Bringing breaking to the world stage

Bringing breaking to the world stage

More shows like Sporting Witness

In Our Time

From Our Own Correspondent

The Documentary Podcast

Global News Podcast

Great Lives

6 Minute English

Learning English Conversations

More or Less: Behind the Stats

Lives Less Ordinary

Witness History

Desert Island Discs

The Infinite Monkey Cage

Newshour

Last Word

The History Hour

The Inquiry

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle

You're Dead to Me

The Daily T

The Rest Is History

The Rest Is Politics

Empire