Teenager goes for gold as break dancing makes Olympics debut

JEFF DUNNE: Fifty percent of breakdowns are mental. You like being the bully, not being intimidated.

You don't want to seem like you're thinking about what you're doing.

Because remembering all the movements in the same routine is very difficult. It may only last 30 to 50 seconds, but in that 30 to 50 seconds there are so many movements and so many similar movements that happen.

So once you want it and you get over that mental game and you have that mental toughness, you'll be fine.

TEXT ON SCREEN: For the first time, break racing is an Olympic sport.

Jeff Dunne will represent Australia.

JEFF DUNNE: I'm 16 and live in northern New South Wales.

My break is very explosive and dynamic and high level.

So this is a flare. I jump with one hand and then reach for the other hand while spinning and so it took me a year to do that as well.

Breaking is really about someone's originality, their style, their presence and the process by which they did things.

I think after the Olympics it will explode again.

I was seven when I really started to break down.

My sister was taking hip hop classes in Brisbane. There was a class next door for the break. I saw this and thought I could do it.

RHONDDA DUNNE: At first he just looked at the big guys. Without any training, he just stood up and kind of tried it and said yeah, I'll do it.

JEFF DUNNE: Yes, it felt extremely natural to me. This feeling was extremely exciting. Basically, it made my heart race.

It started to get very serious for me when the Olympics were announced. I told my parents. They said it wouldn't happen.

RHONDDA DUNNE: I'm like, but man, everyone in Oceania, everyone is going to fight because they all want this place.

He's going, it's going to be me, I'm going to do it and I said yeah, let's buckle up for this trip.

ANNOUNCER: We're going to find out who's going to Paris. A representative from Oceania will be present at Paris 2024 for breaking in.

RHONDDA DUNNE: He did it until he qualified, until he won.

ANNOUNCER: See you in Paris 2024.

RHONDDA DUNNE: As soon as he won gold at the Oceana, he said, “I want a medal in the Olympics,” and we all went, went, went again.

JEFF DUNNE: I normally train five to six hours a day, including the gym.

I just have to wake up in the morning at five, change for morning training downstairs.

This is the computer room, this is my training room. This is where I trained most of my life.

RHONDDA DUNNE: Five o'clock in the morning, boom, boom, boom, the music is coming.

JEFF DUNNE: Have a quick breakfast, have my mom's green shake.

RHONDDA DUNNE: It's delicious.

JEFF DUNNE: It's okay. Just kidding, it's delicious.

And then we get on the bus, we go straight to school.

RHONDDA DUNNE: We always wanted to have four children. After the first two, I couldn't have any more. We had always talked about adoption.

We always find it amazing that these children come to us and are truly such a blessing.

Hannah was adopted from an area in Manila and Jeff was adopted from Davao, further in the country, both from orphanages.

This is the page where we first picked it up. He's a big fat guy.

He was a sick baby. So he was in the hospital a lot, and so they were saying people didn't want to adopt him and we thought, oh, well, we'll take him in.

He has always shown tenacity and commitment. I don't think he already realizes what he accomplished at 16. It's incredible.

Now both of you freeze and I can take a nice photo of you both.

JEFF DUNNE: I feel extremely honored and proud to represent not only the station wagon, but also Australia, my family and my crew.

I feel honored to be able to show what the break really is.

I think I'll keep training and hopefully I'll get that gold medal.