Viral Olympian Raygun Ranked No. 1 Breakdancer in the World

Team Australia’s Rachael *Raygun* Gunn competes during the B-Girls Round Robin – Group B on day fourteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Place de la Concorde on August 09, 2024, in Paris, France. Photo by Elsa /Getty Images

You wouldn’t be wrong to think that something is broken with the world rankings for breakdancers.

Viral Olympian Raygun ranked No. 1 breakdancer in the world

It turns out that you can finish with zero points in Olympic competition, beating only one other dancer who was disqualified, and still become the No. 1-ranked breakdancer in the world. Rachael *Raygun* Gunn achieved that in the latest rankings by World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), released on Monday.

Even more puzzling: Ami Yuasa of Japan, who won gold at the Paris Games, did not appear in the top 50 of the WDSF rankings. Neither did silver-medallist Dominika Banevic of Lithuania or bronze-medallist Liu Qingyi of China.

Despite being originated in Bronx New York in a predominantly black culture, there are no black nor American break dancer in the category.

Breakdancing, also known as breaking, is a dance style that originated in the Bronx, New York City in the 1970s: 

• OriginsBreakdancing is a key part of hip-hop culture, which also includes DJing, MCing, and graffiti. It’s believed to have been created by Black and Puerto Rican youth in the South Bronx in the 1970s.  
• Early development Jamaican DJ Kool Herc is credited with playing a key role in the development of breakdancing. On August 11, 1973, he emceed a dance party in his sister’s apartment building in the Bronx, where he’s said to have started playing two copies of the same record at once, mixing between them using a technique called the “Merry-Go-Round”. 

Raygun became an instant viral sensation at the Summer Games last month. The Aussie caught the world’s attention for her controversial routine, which included moves that resembled kangaroo hopping, rolling on the floor like a toddler, and doing the sprinkler.

Gunn, who went viral during the Paris Games, was ranked number one in the world by the sport’s governing body.

The World DanceSport Federation released its world ranking list, saying in a statement Tuesday that Gunn secured the top spot after she came in first place at the 2023 Oceania Continental Championships.

The ranking puzzled many people, some of whom took to social media to point out that the 37-year-old B-girl, who performs as Raygun, did not receive a single point from the Olympic judges.

“Raygun ranked world number one after Paris Olympics controversy — how funny is this? World no 1??!!” one person wrote on X.

The federation clarified that the ranking is “updated based on each athlete’s top four performances within the past 12 months” and that the points earned in the competitions are valid for 52 weeks from the performance date.

The Paris Games as well as the Olympic qualifier events in Shanghai, China, and Budapest, Hungary, did not contribute to the ranking.

“In alignment with the Olympic Qualification System, ranking events were intentionally not held between 31 December 2023 and the Olympic Games Paris 2024. This strategic scheduling allowed athletes to focus solely on the last part of their Olympic qualification without the added pressure of additional ranking events,” the federation said.

“Consequently, by the end of the Olympic Games, many of the competition results included in the ranking had expired, leading to the current situation where many athletes have only one competition result contributing to their ranking,” the statement read.

The ranking will change after the points expire and after the World DanceSport Federation’s Breaking for Gold World Series in October.

“The WDSF remains steadfast in its commitment to transparency and fairness in the competitive ranking process,” the federation said. “We trust that this explanation resolves any concerns regarding the methodology behind the current standings.”

Gunn defended her Olympic performance in a recent interview with Yahoo Sports.

Gunn defended her Olympic performance in a recent interview with Yahoo Sports. Despite facing intense criticism from both fans and analysts, she maintained that her preparation and dedication leading up to the event were unparalleled. Gunn pointed out that every athlete experiences challenges and setbacks but emphasized her commitment to continually improving and striving for excellence. She acknowledged the support of her coaches and team, stating that their guidance was instrumental in her development. Gunn’s focus is now on future competitions, where she hopes to demonstrate her abilities and hard work to achieve even greater success.