Australian Breaker Raygun Tops World Rankings Despite Olympic Criticism

Australian breaker Rachael “Raygun” Gunn has retained her position at the top of the world rankings, despite facing ridicule and online abuse following her performance at the Paris Olympics.

The 37-year-old university lecturer from Sydney failed to score points at the Olympics, where her performance was mockingly described as a “kangaroo dance” and became the subject of viral ridicule.

However, on Tuesday, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) clarified that the rankings exclude Olympic events, focusing instead on athletes’ top four performances over the past year.

Raygun’s first-place finish at the 2023 Oceania Continental Championships earned her 1,000 points, securing her top position.

The WDSF further explained that no ranking events were held between December 2023 and the Olympics to allow athletes to concentrate on qualifying for the Games.

The rankings have drawn criticism from within the breaking community. 

Zack Slusser, vice president of Breaking for Gold USA, argued that the WDSF’s rankings do not accurately represent the sport or its culture, adding that many breakers only participated in WDSF events to qualify for the Olympics.

“Speaking of the WDSF, they actually don’t have any real merit with the breakers or the breaking community,” Slusser said.

Raygun’s ranking is expected to change as more events are held, starting with the Breaking for Gold World Series in Shanghai this October.

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