It’s a familiar feeling walking into the Quah household for the first time. Tea-stained photographs of children plaster the stairwell leading to the second floor, chronicling a family’s history. A faded couch, likely a long-time resident of the living room, bears the burden of years of lounging. The sound of barking dogs in the back garden adds to the comfortable clutter of everyday life, speaking of days spent together—the beautiful mess. You would’ve never guessed this home houses three Olympians. That is, until you catch a glimpse of the three professional portraits of athletes proudly hanging in the living room.
For many Singaporeans, the Quah siblings are household names. Chances are, you've found yourself glued to the television, heart racing, as you cheered them on in international competitions. They are some of Singapore’s most accomplished swimmers, representing us on the world's biggest sporting stages. For the upcoming Olympics in Paris, however, despite their best efforts to compete together for the first time in an Olympic setting, only one of them has qualified. Eldest sister Quah Ting Wen and Quah Zheng Wen have been fixtures in the swimming world for more than a decade, yet it is their little sister, Jing Wen, who secured a spot.
At 27, Quah Zheng Wen finds himself in an unfamiliar position—watching from the sidelines as his sister prepares for her Olympic debut in Paris. “I feel sad; sad that I'm not there to experience her debut at the Olympic Games,” he confides, seated diagonally from me on his living room couch after a long day of filming. “I very much wished that this would have been the games that all three of us could go to together,” adds Quah, his eyes reflecting a mix of pride and wistfulness. “But I'm more proud than disappointed that I'm not there.”
He recalls his sister's tireless efforts to qualify for the previous Olympics in 2021, repeatedly attempting the gruelling 200-metre butterfly event before failing to qualify. “I felt incredibly sad that I was going without her,” he adds, “I remember thinking if there were an option to give up my spot for her, I would have.”
It's clear that family is of paramount importance to Quah. His greatest fear, he reveals, is the thought of losing his parents. This fear, he explains, has been a driving force in his life since he was young. "It's a big reason why I kind of want to start moving forward in my professional career, start being able to contribute more to the family so that my parents can kind of relax, retire, you know, do the things that they like, travel and enjoy life."
As an athlete closer to the end than the beginning, athletes like Quah face a unique challenge: the accelerated passage of time in their careers (and everything bad that comes with it). While the average person may not confront the physical effects of ageing until their hair greys and knees sore, athletes often hear whispers about their age by 30. Can Zheng Wen keep up with the younger swimmers? Zheng Wen should consider retirement to give the younger swimmers a chance. Quah is already past his peak. It hardly seems fair to label a 27-year-old as ageing, yet I’d wager this reality forces athletes to mature much faster than the average person.
"It's quite crazy," Zheng Wen begins, "your life as an athlete is compressed." He recounts his journey from being one of the youngest on the national team at 15 to suddenly finding himself the oldest male swimmer on Team Singapore. “I now stand almost completely alone at the age of 27,” he confides. “Even right now as we are speaking about it, that idea still seems foreign to me."
At only 27, it seems odd that Quah is already the oldest male swimmer on Team Singapore, especially given that this age often marks the peak for athletes in sports like basketball and football. When asked why this was, Quah attributes it to Singapore's intense academic culture and the corporate rat race where everyone’s racing to be ahead of each other. “To a lot of people, when you’re between 20 to 26, it's wasted time if you spend it doing sports because there's no money for one, there's no real progression, there's no kind of pathway out of sports into the working world.”
Perhaps this is why Quah finds himself in a situation where his younger counterparts are retiring as early as 18. Or maybe it’s due to the fact that no one younger has been able to outswim the UC Berkeley alum yet. “That’s one of the reasons why I'm still in it. I mean, if I can't be the best here, then I can't be the best anywhere, right?”
In the world of competition, it’s tempting to look at someone younger and feel a need to be better than them. The natural inclination is to believe that your greater experience and longer track record of winning should give you an edge. Plus, it's all too easy to imagine what these newcomers were doing when you were their age and write them off.
Quah, however, takes a different approach. Reflecting on his time training at UC Berkeley alongside Olympians and world record holders, he remembers the first time a younger swimmer outpaced him. “Even though they're younger, I never saw them as less of a threat, you know, I respected all of them equally.”
A mindset like this was vital during Quah’s journey through National Service. A series of deferments meant he was conscripted several years later than his peers, placing him in a platoon filled with individuals six years his junior. "It felt odd at first," Quah admitted. "I mean, you know, a lot of my sergeants and superiors were guys younger than me." However, Quah's experiences in competitive swimming where he'd learned to respect all opponents regardless of age prepared him well for this unusual dynamic. With a chuckle, he adds, "Men, you know, we don't really grow up too much, right? Men will always be boys."
Life imitates art, but is it a stretch to suggest that life also imitates sports? At 16, he set a national record in the 400m individual medley and made the Olympic squad, fighting to prove himself in London. By 20, he became the first Singaporean male to reach an Olympic swimming semi-final, placing 15th and 10th in butterfly events. Later, he’d forever etch his name into the front page of the history books, becoming Singapore’s most-medalled male swimmer.
Yet in 2024, despite the achievements, Quah finds himself, once again, needing to prove his worth after missing Olympic qualification. It’s a cycle akin to the human experience: bare and vulnerable we arrive, bare and vulnerable we depart; just as athletes begin and end their careers battling to prove themselves. In the case of Quah, silencing pundits isn’t his only hurdle, he’s also racing against the decay of time—which begs the question: with Father Time as his challenger, how fiercely will he swim this final lap?
“The older, more experienced and better at the sport you are, the harder it is to find those small things to change that get you that little fraction of more time,” he says. “But undeniably, I have to try, I have to try extremely hard."
His voice carries a mix of determination and wonder, "But that's the beauty, right? We never know the limit, we always believe that there's that 1 per cent we can change, that can make a difference to bring out a performance better than any you've ever put out before." True to his words, in his most recent swim before this interview, he achieved his fastest time of the entire year. “I'm proud to say that I never gave up.”
Given Quah's mindset, one might naturally expect him to pursue a spot in the 2028 Olympics. Yet, reality intrudes. “I think it's hard to say, in four years I’ll be 32,” he says with a tinge of wistfulness. “I do want to be able to contribute to my family financially and have my parents be in a comfortable spot but I think right now unfortunately in Singapore we're just not in a spot where we're able to push athletes for that long of a period.”
In that case, what’s next? Having studied neurobiology at UC Berkeley, Quah had aspirations of eventually becoming a doctor like his father but his perspective has shifted. “It was a long-time dream of mine,” he admitted. “But I just don't think med school is in the cards really for me anymore.” Quah appears content with this shift, adding, "I've learned to be okay with that."
To adapt and find peace in letting go speaks to a deeper maturity, one that Quah attributes in part to the life lessons swimming has taught him. “I used to think that winning was everything,” he admits. “Results were everything and anything less than that would be a loss.” This mentality drove him towards excellence for years.
Yet, as he’s matured as an athlete, he’s come to realise that the countless hours spent training with teammates chasing the same goals, the camaraderie—the journey, is equally as important. But perhaps the most valuable lesson swimming has taught him is gratitude. "Cherish every moment," he says, "because once it's gone, it's gone forever."
At present, Quah hopes to use his platform to encourage the younger generations of swimmers and to progress sports in Singapore. “In the past, I would’ve been like why would I want to do this (8-hour shoot)? I’d rather train, I’d rather be eating, I’d rather be sleeping. I could hang out with my friends,” he reflects, then adds with a self-deprecating chuckle, "Okay, not so much that one lah because I didn’t have a social life.” He goes on, “but I think this is an opportunity for me to share my experiences and show that it's possible to swim longer than five years.”
Singapore is quick to applaud its sporting heroes but tends to forget them when they stumble. In a sport like swimming, where losses far outnumber wins, is it fair to expect athletes to excel consistently without adequate support during challenging times? One can’t help but wonder: Is there a world where Singaporean athletes are rewarded when they win and supported when they lose?
Perhaps in that world, this interview might have taken a different direction—I would have asked him about the Olympics in 2028. Maybe Quah would have felt more confident about his Olympic future; spoken with optimism and determination about his training plans and goals for the next four years.
Regardless, there is no use dwelling in hypotheticals—the focus must remain on the present and the tangible future. Whether or not Quah competes in the 2028 Olympics, his influence on Singapore's sporting landscape is undeniable and will continue to be felt long after he hangs up his goggles.
Director of Photography: Jaya Khidir
Director and Editor: Nowo Kasturi
Creative Direction: Asri Jasman
Grooming: Christian M
Gaffer: Fang Yuan
Grips: Amos Elijah Lee, Ern Quek, Guo Wei, and Timothy Lim
Production Assistants: Ng Kai Ming and Syed Abdullah
Watch: Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
Locations: Hideout and COMO Orchard
Animation: Joan Tai
The Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony was touted the most-watched since London 2012, amassing nearly 29 million viewers. And man were they treated to possibly the the most chaotic visual spectacle thus far, too.
Top cool moments include a closing song by Céline Dion from the Eiffel Tower light show; the legendary singer's first performance following a rare stiff-person syndrome diagnosis in 2022.
Lady Gaga did her number opening the games in the most Lady Gaga-esque style prior.
And who can forget the insane sequence from Marie Antoinette, guillotined and all, to heavy metal courtesy of Gojira.
Other highlights saw a masked and hooded torchbearer that Assassin’s Creed-ed his way along famous French destinations.
Yes, a different masked and hooded torchbearer from the one on a horse.
Snoop Dogg similarly doing his part, minus the parkour.
Mona Lisa was also stolen by Minions. Yup, the yellow ones.
Of course, the most controversial bit besides the hinted ménage à trois was the banquet set up. This sparked offense for its depicted parallel to Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper, evoking criticism from the likes of The Catholic Church in France for the "scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity".
The organising committee has since apologised for the upset and denied any intentional disrespect. Artistic director Thomas Jolly has explained for the concept to celebrate diversity and French gastronomy, in vein of a pagan party in tribute to the gods of Olympus. Specifically the Greek god Dionysus, looking more akin to a greasy blue Smurf.
If anything, it's the overall low-budget aesthetic of the entire production that's truly offensive. Maybe remove the dick innuendo in the lyrics and take a cue from the birthplace of the Olympics?
Russia, still banned from the global sporting event, has been quick to jump in with their own overt spin.
We can kinda see why.
It's hard to top this iconic moment though.
Nor this badass move that will go down in history books.
Frankly, we're just disappointed we didn't get to have this.
Nike launched the "Win On Air" Experience, an event that was featured on a two-story high display. Spanning three-levels and 28,000 sqm at Nike Orchard Road, the retail space is more than a store—it's a sport hub tailored to support athletes of all ages in achieving their goals.
When it was shown, the video highlighted the power of Nike Air on the facade, showcasing athletes such as Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappé, Track & Field sensation Sha'Carri Richardson and French Basketball player Victor Wembanyama all decked out in Nike footwear.
Nike Members can enjoy exclusive access to new in-store events and services through the Nike App during the "Win On Air" experience.
Events include an immersive customisation experience featuring the exclusive "Win On Air" and "Air Studio" collections, available for a limited time. These collections can be customised on t-shirts and hats. To capture the dynamic energy of athletes, Nike By You has partnered with Singaporean artist Teo Chong Wah for this special collection.
For those eager to break a sweat, the Run Swoosh Session provides an audio-guided or coach-led treadmill experience, bringing the local running community together with a five-kilometre run. Participants will also have the opportunity to test the all-new Nike Pegasus 41 Blueprint.
Nike is committed to helping its athletes break new grounds at the upcoming Olympics in Paris with re-engineered footwear featuring the Air Zoom innovation, optimised for maximum energy return. The Pegasus 41 Blueprint celebrates Nike's evolution, drawing inspiration from Bill Bowerman's original designs. It features unique elements like a speckled Swoosh logo, insole sketches of feet, and 'Air Zoom' on the toe cap.
(NIKE)
Experience lightweight energy return with dual Air Zoom units and a ReactX foam midsole around the forefoot. Not only that, but the enhanced upper mesh reduces weight and increases breathability. The ReactX foam midsole is 13 per cent more responsive than previous React technology. Killing two birds with one stone, it's designed for both performance and sustainability. Reducing its carbon footprint by at least 43 per cent per pair compared to the previous React foam, thanks to a more efficient manufacturing process.
With a mission to provide superior products that enhance travel experiences, Samsonite Singapore will be assisting Team Singapore athletes on their "journey to glory" at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Samsonite has collaborated with the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) as the Official Luggage sponsor for athletes participating in the Games. This partnership represents a major milestone for both organisations in their joint effort to promote and support local sports and athletes.
The luggage that will be accompanying the Singapore's medal hopefuls is Samsonite's EVOA Z. Sleek and minimalist in design, the luggage is undoubtedly sophisticated in appearance, highlighted by a seamlessly integrated aluminium logo bar right at the top. But striking good looks aside, the EVOA Z boasts remarkable functionality with a cleverly hidden hook embedded in the trolley housing. With a simple motion, the hook can be unfolded to hang things such as a garment bag, coat or other essentials to free hands while having the items within easy reach.
The Ivory Gold EVOA Z has been exclusively crafted for Team Singapore—complete with the Singapore emblem and the Olympic rings—and will not be available in stores. It's tailored for the athletes who appreciate effortless travel and enduring elegance, and most importantly, adds that added level of confidence as they represent the nation on the global stage.
“From the very beginning, of course there was some pressure,” Harold Israel tells me. We’re sat in a room at the Fondation Simone et Cino Del Duca in Paris, a 19th-century private mansion that became the site of Berluti’s Spring/Summer 2025 presentation this past June. The vice president of marketing and image at Berluti regaled me with details of the challenges that the Maison had to overcome in creating the outfits for Team France for the opening ceremonies to the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Israel doesn’t downplay the monumental pressure that the Berluti team felt from the moment that the House was chosen to outfit the French national team. Parent company LVMH’s signing on as premium partner of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games—an announcement that was made in July last year—involves the participation of a number of its maisons through different facets of the Games. Louis Vuitton’s trunk-making expertise sees it crafting Medals Trunks as well as Torches Trunks to house the competitions' medals and relay torches respectively; Chaumet’s design studio took charge of the medal designs; Sephora created activations that will travel along with the Torch Relay; Dior has adopted more and more athletes into its fold as ambassadors; and Berluti will dress 1,500 athletes representing France. Arguably, Berluti’s task seems the heaviest.
On 26 July, 400 members of Team France will officially make their debut to billions of spectators worldwide. Not only will they be representing France, they’ll be representing the host country and by association, French style and elegance that have long been regarded as one of the blueprints of fashion as we know it. And thanks to Berluti, they’ll be doing so in a rather elegant manner.
“The two main points that were really on our minds throughout this project were elegance and comfort,” explains Israel. “The outfits for the French team during the last Olympics were very much sports driven, given that the partner was different. Being the partner for this edition, our expertise isn’t sporty, so we really pushed for a more elegant aesthetic.” He goes on to say that the Maison was given carte blanche in the design, save for the usual guidelines enforced by the International OIympic Committee.
The decision was to go with what Berluti knows best: craftsmanship. Working within the framework of its time-honoured craftsmanship across footwear, leather goods, and tailoring, the tuxedo became the starting point. Israel tells me that a lot of considerations were made with respect to the nature of the event—it’s a ceremony and not a red carpet event after all. At the end of the day, Berluti wanted the athletes to “dress up, feel very beautiful, and be proud and empowered”.
The tuxedo is undoubtedly a powerful piece of item that’s by definition the epitome of elegance in dress. Berluti’s challenge was to tweak the idea of the tuxedo such that it could be manipulated to fit into the grandeur of the ceremony while paying homage to the nature of the Games, and at the same time, incorporate codes of the Maison. “We didn’t want to put 'Berluti' on it—we felt it was a bit cheap and not elegant. We needed to brand in a very subtle way. Berluti is about savoir-faire and we are quite well known for the patina effect that we’re the only one to master, so we decided to apply this on the silk shawl collar of the tuxedo, making it very singular and outstanding,” explains Israel.
I asked if the Scritto—another Berluti signature—was ever considered to be part of the design. Israel quickly reminded me of the subtleties that Berluti wanted to imbue into the final design. The Scritto might have been considered “too much Berluti” for an event that was not about the Maison, but rather, the French athletes. A fair point indeed.
The chosen patina cleverly utilises the three colours of the France national flag and was done in the same handcrafted manner typical of patinas seen in every Berluti creation. It stands out against the midnight blue hue of the tuxedo but not glaringly so. Israel tells me that once the patina and silhouette of the tuxedo was set in stone, the small details fell into place and were carefully designed—a small team emblem stitched right on the bottom-left pocket, a detailed label specially designed for the Games and positioned inside of the tuxedo, and even belts, scarves and pocket squares rendered in the “French flag” patina to tie the entire look together.
True to the Maison’s personalised nature, semblances of it have been adapted into the opening ceremonies outfits. Female athletes have the options of choosing between a pair of trousers or a wrap-around skirt. Together with the coaches, they will also be afforded the option of wearing either the Berluti Shadow trainers (also trimmed with the specially designed patina) with the trousers or the more formal Lorenzo loafers to be paired with skirts. Male athletes will stick to the standard tuxedo and paired with the Shadow trainers—a mash of elegance and comfort that’s the very basis of the project.
Expectedly, one of the greatest challenges was in dressing a very diverse group of individuals, not just in terms of body measurements, but also in very specific ways. “From the beginning, we had a lot of interactions with the athletes because they are the ones who will be wearing the outfits, and some of them have experiences from previous Olympics or Paralympics opening ceremonies,” Israel expounds. “They came in with a lot of feedback and expectations. Once we collected all those notes, we started to understand what we were supposed to do and what not to do.” The Paralympians, for example, had to be given a more bespoke treatment due to their individual needs. “I think, in that sense, this was also what was expected of us, not to do a one-size-fits-all approach,” affirms Israel.
The results speak for themselves. Looking at the outfits up close, I could tell that the make was every bit Berluti—the fine attention to details, the handcrafted tailoring, and the use of fine materials. But that’s me, someone who won’t be wearing it on a boat sailing along the Seine for the opening ceremonies. Israel informs me that reception from the athletes were very much positive.
“One of the first things the athletes told us when we met them is that a competition can be won from the very first day of the Olympics—even before you enter the field. And they always mention a kind of power that the US team has because firstly, they have fabulous athletes and then they’re all dressed up in Ralph Lauren. Or the Italian team with Armani. The French Team didn't feel they had such a charisma before, so they felt it's super important from the beginning to feel empowered with the way they’re dressed. Now, they’re looking forward to 26 July and 28 August to show the world that they are proud and happy to be in Paris, and they will compete by being super elegant and super comfortable,” expresses Israel.
For a small Maison like Berluti, that in itself is a win. Then again, it’s not exactly surprising that Berluti could craft something that feels characteristically French while at the same time exuding the kind of elegance befitting of a significant global event. If anything, it proves that despite its relatively small size compared to the rest of the maisons under LVMH, Berluti is able to take up just about any sartorial challenge and to do so in the way that stays true to the spirit of the Maison.
They say the higher you climb, the harder you fall. Yet, greatness rarely blossoms from playing it safe, does it? The current World and Olympic pole-vaulting champion is a Swedish national who recently broke the world record. The eighth time in his career, we might add and at a record height of 6.24m. This is unprecedented territory, folks. This is someone who jumped higher than anyone has and has landed intact. Meet OMEGA's ambassador, Armand "Mondo" Duplantis. Oh, and meet the new Seamaster Aqua Terra that's inspired by him and his achievements.
Enter OMEGA, the watchmaking house that decided such a feat deserved to be celebrated with a new timepiece. Introducing the new Seamaster Aqua Terra, a watch infused with Duplantis’ DNA and passion for pole vaulting. Dressed in blue and stitched in yellow, the 41mm timepiece pays homage to the Swedish flag. And there's also the emulation of the competition of Olympic pole vaulting through a number of subtle details.
Yellow splashes adorn the quarter hour numbers and The Seamaster name. But the most prominent tribute is the pole vault-inspired seconds hand that is also painted yellow. Its tip, treated with Super-LumiNova, represents the grip of the pole.
In a world of high-performance sports, milliseconds can determine the difference between victory and defeat. Influenced by the precision of pole vaulting, the Seamaster Aqua Terra imports this very essence with the Co-Axial Master Chronometer calibre to assure unparalleled accuracy. Much like Duplantis’ unwavering focus, the watch's movement is magnet-resistant, which means, there will be no external factors that could compromise its performance.
When Victor Montalvo’s shoulders hit the floor, they glide. He’s a whirlpool, spinning round and round, pulling you closer with every impossible rotation. If you didn’t know better, you’d think the floor—not Victor—was revolving. He pivots from his back to standing on his head to a full 360 degree spin on the palm of his left hand.
This is the world-champion breaker’s signature move: the Super Montalvo. It’s cheeky, cocky, and a downright nuclear weapon that has made Montalvo the face of breaking (or breakdancing—the sport has enjoyed a rebrand since you originally watched You Got Served). In August, the 30-year-old will represent Team USA at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
“I honestly don’t have rivals,” Montalvo tells me in a video interview a few months before he takes the global stage. And there’s not a hint of ego in his voice. The man hardly blinks, and his head is perpetually tilted ever so slightly to the side, sizing me up as if I were his next opponent. Pity the poor schmucks who have to face him in the Olympics.
Montalvo has earned his unmitigated confidence. In his career, he’s won every major international breaking competition in the world. He is the reigning gold medallist at the World Games, a two-time champion of Red Bull BC One, and the most recent winner of the WDSF World Breaking Championship. Quite simply, he broke breaking.
After a while, though, even winning felt repetitive. Montalvo lost the love of the sport . . . but that didn’t last long. “I already did everything I wanted to do in my breaking career,” he says. “I just got bored of it. It felt like a never-ending cycle. Same events each year, every year. Like, man, I want something new.”
When Montalvo heard that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had added breaking to the slate, his passion was instantly reinvigorated. Another mountain to climb. Another nation to conquer. He remembers thinking, Perfect. That’s another goal I can achieve. His chances of taking home the gold medal are extremely good.
David “Kid David” Schreibman, a breaking legend and Red Bull commentator, recently told Rolling Stone, “[There’s not] another competitive breaker who is as consistent and has the full package.” Montalvo blends the Tasmanian Devil’s unhinged energy with Allen Iverson’s creativity. But for all of his aplomb, a win in Paris would mean more than just another hearty chuckle from his throne. He’s fighting for the survival of the sport itself.
Breaking is a little different today from what it was in its ’80s heyday. B-boys no longer crowd the street corners of the Bronx, where the sport originated. In the early aughts, Red Bull provided an upgrade by organising a competition among eight elite crews, who were fighting for a $4,000 grand prize. That paved the way for the global BC One event that Montalvo has won twice. Now the energy-drink company sponsors him.
Modern contests feature one-on-one battles on a dance floor—with each breaker taking roughly one-minute turns, trying to outperform their opponent. As in rhythmic gymnastics and figure skating, judges score their performances and announce a winner. In Paris, Montalvo will compete against 15 other international B-boys, all likely just as revved up as him. “It’s new, evolved, refreshed, and refined. I just can’t wait to showcase it at the Olympics,” Montalvo says of his sport. “They thought it was stuck in the ’80s. Hopefully we’ll change that.”
At the 2024 Olympics, breaking will be featured alongside surfing, sport climbing, and skateboarding—four events that IOC president Thomas Bach hopes will bring in Gen Z viewers. Still, breaking is only a guest in Paris. It won’t appear in the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles—the IOC made the decision before Montalvo could showcase his talents this summer. But if anyone can capitalise on this opportunity to convince the IOC to bring breaking to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, Montalvo believes it’s him. Serving as an ambassador for his sport is a calling. “This is something that I never would’ve thought I would be, but I have to,” he says.
Breaking is in Montalvo’s DNA. In the ’80s, his father and uncle, Victor and Hector Bermudez, were big-time B-boys. The Bermudez twins helped popularise the dance trend throughout Mexico, performing across the country before giving it up and moving to the United States. Back then, you couldn’t make much money in the breaking world.
For Montalvo, it’s a whole new ball game. When he was just six years old, his father pointed at the screen as the family watched the breaking film Beat Street and said, “Look, I used to do this back in the day.” Montalvo burst out laughing. Bermudez wasn’t joking; he put on a hoodie and started “busting out head spins and windmills,” Montalvo recalls. “We thought, Wow, this is amazing.”
As the story goes, Montalvo and his cousin, who goes by Static, joined a crew in Kissimmee, Florida, at a time when breakdancing was big in the state. “I would sneak out of my house to go to different events around Florida, sometimes out of state, and [my father] would let me get away with that because I was doing something positive,” Montalvo remembers. “My dad was always on the sidelines. He supported me 100 percent. He tells me all the time, ‘I’m living my dreams through you.’ ”
The Olympics is an event in which tradition meets innovation, and according to Montalvo, that’s exactly what sets him apart from the competition. “I love keeping the tradition of breaking alive,” he says. “Your body is the instrument, and you’re bringing that instrument out.” He adds, “I love seeing people’s faces after they watch me dance. Like, God, this is so incredible.”
Speaking to Montalvo, you can tell that standing still is a burden. It’s easier for him to spin—to point his feet to the sky, stopping only to taunt his opponents with picture-perfect freezes. At the moment, he’s all smiles. More often, he’s smirking. “I understand the formula now,” Montalvo says of the road ahead. “Beat the system.”
Photographs By Laurel Golio
Three classics of the genre to watch before the sport’s Olympic throw-down.
“Style Wars is a graffiti documentary, but it’s really dope because it talks about the culture of breaking and just hip-hop in general.”
“The Freshest Kids is a documentary about the origins of breaking and what it means to be a breaker. Hopefully, after the Olympics, they’ll have a little breaking documentary. We need a new one for this day and age.”
“That’s a movie,” Montalvo says about the hip-hop film starring the famous Rock Steady Crew. “Watch that one.”
Originally published on Esquire US
You're going to be seeing a lot more sports-driven capsule collections by luxury brands leading up to the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games—at least by those under the LVMH umbrella of brands. The French luxury conglomerate headed by the second (at the time of writing) wealthiest man in the world has signed on as a Premium Partner of the Paris 2024 Games.
"This unprecedented partnership with the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games will contribute to heightening the appeal of France around the world. It was only natural that LVMH and its maisons be part of this exceptional international event. The values of passion, excellence and inclusion championed by high-level sports are cultivated each day by our teams, motivated by an unwavering desire to surpass limits. Sports is a tremendous source of inspiration for our maisons, which will unite creative excellence and athletic performance by contributing their savoir-faire and bold innovation to this extraordinary celebration," says LVMH chairman and chief executive officer Bernard Arnault.
The deal means that LVMH and its groups of luxury brands—across fashion, jewellery, cosmetics, and wine and spirits—will partake in key moments throughout the Games.
Parisian jeweller Chaumet is tasked with crafting the Games' medals that will be received by athletes who have proven their mettle and skills in each event. LVMH's drinks division with Möet Hennessy wines and spirits will take charge of the hospitality elements for guests as well as athletes. During the Olympic Torch Relay, Sephora is set to organise activations for the public at stops as well as key locations along the route.
On the fashion front, Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Berluti are set to announce their activations that will be scheduled all the way till the opening ceremony of Paris 2024. While little is known about the exact plans, it's been reported by multiple media sources that there's the possibility that the brands will be sponsoring uniforms. What LVMH has announced in its official press release is the 'Artisans of All Victories' principle that will guide the group's decision to support individual athletes too. The first is Léon Marchand—the 21-year-old who is France's leading hope for a medal in swimming.
As Premium Partner, LVMH is also dedicated to not only support professional athletes but also prospective ones. The group will partner French non-profit organisation Secours populaire français in support of a program to facilitate access to sports for underprivileged youths aged between 4 to 25. The aid will include funding for sports association memberships, training programs and beginner classes.
LVMH is by no means a stranger to the sports arena, especially in relation to its luxury fashion maisons. Louis Vuitton, for example, has continuously partnered up with big-named sporting events the likes of the Rugby World Cup, Davis Cup, Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco, as well as the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The maison also most recently signed tennis player Carlos Alcazar as its house ambassador, days before he became a Wimbledon champion.
The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games will mark LVMH's biggest sporting event partnership yet. Not only will they be watched by an estimate of over 13 million spectators and 4 billion television viewers worldwide, it will also be the first time that the Games are hosted by Paris in 100 years.
