After breakdancing’s inclusion at this year’s Paris Olympics, the International Pole Sports Federation (Pole Sports) is pushing for pole dancing to be recognized as an Olympic sport.
Before its official recognition as a sport, pole dancing was primarily associated with striptease. As a result, some of the sport’s most challenging moves, such as the Jade Split and Marion Amber, are named after renowned strippers like Jamilla Deville, Marion Crampe, and Amber Ray.
Pole dancing was officially recognized as a sport in 2017. Since then, an annual World Championship has been held, attracting athletes from over 40 countries, including Greece.
However, there are concerns that the addition of new rules for its inclusion in the Olympics may alter its identity.
In many countries such as China, Russia, and countries in South and Central America, where pole dancing was never sexualized, it was automatically accepted as a sport. Mexico, for example, sponsors it in the same program as other Olympic sports.
However, French Dance Federation president Charles Ferreira told Reuters that pole dancing could take up to 10 years to be recognized as an Olympic event.