Olympic breaker Raygun is top ranked despite controversial performance

The origins of breaking, the newest Olympic sport

The origins of breaking, the newest Olympic sport 05:58

Despite her controversial performance at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, Australian breaker Rachael Gunn, known as Raygun, has been ranked as the number one female breakdancer globally by The World DanceSport Federation. Gunn, 37, finished the Olympic breaking event with a total score of zero. 

Her performance, which featured unconventional moves including a kangaroo hop, sparked questions about how she had qualified for the Olympics in the first place.

Rachael Gunn, known as B-Girl Raygun, performed a kangaroo dance during her routine at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Getty

In response to inquiries about the ranking, the WDSF said its system did not include the Olympic competition or qualifiers.

"Due the unique circumstances regarding ranking events this year, it is not unusual in the period immediately following the Olympic Games for some athletes to be ranked according to a single event," the WDSF said in a statement. 

It said Gunn had placed first at the Oceania Continental Championships in October 2023.

"Until WDSF ranking events recommence later this year, therefore, the world rankings as they currently stand should be interpreted in conjunction with results from recent global Breaking competitions for a more accurate reflection of the global competitive landscape," the WDSF added.

"I really appreciate the positivity, and I'm glad I was able to bring some joy in your lives," Gunn said in a statement posted on social media as she faced a barrage of criticism and online abuse after her appearance at the Olympics. "That's what I hoped. I didn't realize that would open the door to so much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating."

"I went out there and I had fun," she said. "I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics, and I gave my all."

Breaking, which made its debut as an Olympic event at the Paris Games, is not on the program for the next Summer Olympics, scheduled for 2028 in Los Angeles, California.

In:
• Paris
• Olympics
• Australia