The World Dance Sport Federation WDSF is said to have used the money it received from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the Olympic discipline of breaking incorrectly and also negligently "drove the young dance sport discipline to the wall" at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
The investigative editorial team of Swiss Radio and Television (SRF) uncovers irregularities in the WDSF association management in a major report. The two SRF authors let disappointed representatives of the international breaking scene have their say, show extracts from WDSF minutes and explosive emails. Has the WDSF really misused the discipline of breaking in order to be able to implant its traditional Standard and Latin disciplines into the Olympic programme at a later date?
The accusations in the report are harsh; the WDSF takes a stand and the IOC recently praised the WDSF's work regarding breaking at the Olympics in the highest terms. The fact is that dance sport will no longer have an international stage at the next Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. Dance sport has squandered a great opportunity!
Statement of the STSV
The Swiss Dance Sport Federation (STSV) takes the investigative report published this week on Swiss Radio and Television (SRF) about our umbrella organisation, the World Dance Sport Federation (WDSF), very seriously. The STSV notes that the issues and points of criticism raised in the report largely correspond with its own observations.
The STSV sees the demands for more transparency and democratic processes as crucial for the sustainable and healthy development of dance sport. Every organisation, including a sports association, is obliged to carry out its tasks to the best of its knowledge and belief. In recent years, the STSV has also invested a great deal in cooperation with Swiss Olympic to fulfil these requirements.
For STSV, the following therefore applies: "We are continuously working to improve our structures and are focussing on transparency and the involvement of all stakeholders."
The STSV hopes that the WDSF will also take steps to improve transparency and democratic structures in the international federation.
11.01.2025/Swiss Dancesport Association
