Australia’s viral breakdancer Raygun is ranked no. 1 in the world. Here’s how.

The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) has named Australia’s viral Olympic breakdancer Rachael “Raygun” Gunn because the No. 1 B-Lady on the planet. Positive, why not.

Raygun rose to worldwide notoriety throughout the Paris Olympics, together with her extensively panned strikes failing to attain her a single level throughout all six rounds in all three battles she danced in. Of explicit word was a transfer by which she curled her palms in entrance of her and hopped like a kangaroo. Her efficiency rapidly went viral, with folks throughout the globe mocking her unorthodox type.

Regardless of this, Raygun has now managed to snag the highest place on the WDSF Breaking World Rating Record of B-Ladies. She is at the moment adopted in rankings by Riko Tsuhako from Japan and Anna “Stefani” Ponomarenko of Ukraine. Australian breakdancers Molly Therese “Holy Molly” Chapman and Hannah Georgina Belet are ranked fourth and fifth, having additionally received second and third place on the competitors the place Raygun certified for this 12 months’s Olympic Video games.

How did Raygun turn into the No. 1 B-Lady on the planet?

In response to WDSF, its world rankings are ruled by the organisation’s Breaking Guidelines and Rules Guide and are based mostly on every competitor’s high 4 performances at rating occasions throughout the previous 12 months. 

Nonetheless, such occasions had been intentionally suspended from the beginning of this 12 months within the lead as much as the Paris Olympics. In an announcement launched on Tuesday, the WDSF mentioned that this was to be able to enable dancers to deal with qualifying for the Olympics with out having to separate their consideration to rating occasions.

Whereas many of the Olympic qualifying breaking occasions had been held in 2023 (together with the Oceania Breaking Championships which resulted in Raygun’s qualification), the ultimate Olympic Qualifiers Sequence had been held in Could and June 2024. The outcomes of each these qualifiers and the Olympic Video games themselves weren’t taken into consideration when figuring out the WDSF’s rankings “as a result of restricted athlete quotas.”

On account of this disruption within the aggressive breaking circuit, the WDSF famous that many rivals solely had a single occasion contributing to their rating. As such, Raygun’s 2180 factors throughout two occasions was sufficient to snag her the highest place. 

Credit score: Screenshot: Mashable

“Till WDSF rating occasions recommence later this 12 months, subsequently, the world rankings as they at the moment stand must be interpreted together with outcomes from latest world Breaking competitions for a extra correct reflection of the worldwide aggressive panorama,” mentioned WDSF.

Riko technically earned extra factors total than Raygun as effectively. Nonetheless, the WDSF said that extra weight was given to Raygun’s 1000 factors from the Oceania Breaking Championships than Riko’s 1000 from the Breaking for Gold World Sequence, as the previous is taken into account a higher-level competitors.

Mainly, Raygun is simply ranked first on the planet proper now due to a couple technicalities. Even so, it is unlikely she’ll maintain her No. 1 place for lengthy. Raygun’s WDSF rating factors from the Oceania Breaking Championships are as a result of expire on the finish of October, the identical month one other competitors might be held in Shanghai.

Raygun stands by her Olympic efficiency

Credit score: Ezra Shaw / Getty Photos

Raygun just lately defended her Olympic efficiency in her first interview after the occasion, attributing the deluge of criticism she’d acquired to “folks not being very acquainted with breaking.” When requested whether or not she thought she was the perfect breakdancer in Australia, the 37-year-old said that she believes her “report speaks to that.”

“It is only a completely different strategy in breaking,” Raygun advised Australian speak present The Venture. “You may have the athletics type breakers, you even have the extra creative type breakers, and all of them are very legitimate.”

Even so, most of the people stays largely unconvinced. 

Breakers vs. The World DanceSport Federation

Credit score: Elsa / Getty Photos

Sadly for the WDSF, the organisation’s continued insistence on Raygun’s abilities has solely undermined its authority to many who noticed her efficiency with their very own eyes. Some have additional questioned the WDSF’s suitability to manipulate breaking in any respect, significantly because the organisation’s roots are in aggressive ballroom dancing. 

These criticisms aren’t new. In 2017 over 2000 folks signed a Change.org petition by B-Boy Serouj “Midus” Aprahamian entitled “Get the WDSF’s Arms Off Hip-Hop”. Like Raygun, Midus can be a college professor with a deal with dance. Not like Raygun, he said in his petition that WDSF “has completely no connection or credibility with any official entity within the worldwide breaking group.” Midus accused the WDSF of pivoting to breaking merely to get a foothold within the Olympics, with the hope of finally convincing the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) so as to add ballroom dancing.

Although the WDSF has denied such accusations, it had initially contracted marketing consultant Jean-Laurent Bourquin to petition the IOC for ballroom dancing’s inclusion within the Olympics. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Bourquin satisfied the WDSF to shift its focus to breaking as having a greater probability of success. Sadly, he hadn’t realised on the time that the WDSF held no authority within the breaking group.

The tip result’s the state of affairs we at the moment are dwelling in, with breakdancing bringing to thoughts Australian college lecturers kangaroo hopping on the Olympics. Contemplating the worldwide consideration Raygun garnered together with her efficiency, it is more likely to be some time earlier than that affiliation fades.