Australian breakdancer Raygun ranked world No. 1 after Paris Olympics.

Rachael “Raygun” Gunn, the Australian breakdancer who recently became a familiar face at the Paris Olympics, has been ranked as the world’s top female performer in her sport. This news may come as a surprise to those familiar with her Olympic performance, which sparked considerable criticism.

During her time at the Olympics, Gunn experienced a tough round-robin stage, losing all three of her battles and finishing without any points. Her unconventional dance moves, including hopping like a kangaroo and lying sideways while touching her toes, quickly made her a target for ridicule, leading to numerous memes online.

The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), which oversees the rankings, issued a statement seeking to clarify how these rankings are determined and to address concerns raised by fans and critics. According to the WDSF, the ranking does not factor in scores from the Paris Olympics or the qualifying rounds leading up to the event. The organization does not hold ranking competitions in the seven months preceding the Olympics to allow athletes to concentrate on their performances, which contributed to the current rankings being based heavily on previous competitions.

The WDSF highlighted that by the end of the Olympic Games, many results feeding into the rankings had essentially expired. This situation led to several athletes, including Gunn, having their rankings reliant on a single competition result. In Gunn’s case, her significant achievement came from winning the Oceania Continental Championships in Sydney last October, where she secured 1,000 points.

Riko, a Japanese breakdancer currently ranked second by the WDSF, also achieved 1,000 points through a qualifying competition. In situations where competitors are tied, the federation considers the competition’s status to resolve ranking disputes.

Critics within the breakdancing community have raised concerns about the WDSF’s ability to accurately reflect the sport’s current status and culture. Zack Slusser, the vice president of Breaking for Gold USA, stated that the WDSF lacks legitimacy with breakers and hasn’t organized enough events to create a reliable ranking system.

At 37 years old, Gunn serves as a lecturer at Macquarie University in Sydney, where she delves into the cultural politics of breakdancing. Her academic credentials include being the top-ranked B-girl in Australia for two consecutive years, 2020 and 2021, and she has represented her country in numerous international competitions held in Paris, Seoul, and Leuven, Belgium. Additionally, she has authored several academic papers on this vibrant dance form.

Following the backlash to her Olympic performances, Gunn has defended her unique style. In a conversation with The Guardian, she emphasized her belief in valuing artistic expression over pure athletic ability, stating, “I am artistic and creative and wanted to move differently.” She also addressed the abundant online mockery, labeling it “pretty devastating,” and asserted her dedication to her craft despite criticism.

As of now, there has been no response from Gunn’s representatives regarding inquiries about her ranking and the ongoing discourse surrounding her Olympic experience.

Source: Business Insider