World's Top Breaker Titled to Olympic Star Raygun by the Overseeing Sports Organization
The 37-year-old secured the leading position in the most recent female categorization presented by the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), the organization responsible for managing breaking and other dance sports.
Raygun's performances during her Olympic encounters against breakers from the USA, France, and Lithuania in August resulted in no scoring points, resulting in 0-18 losses in all rounds.
However, Raygun garnered the gold medal at the 2023 WDSF Oceania Championships, earning her 1,000 ranking points and elevating her to the No. 1 position, sharing the top spot with Japan's B-Girl Riko. Raygun's victory at the Oceania Championships also secured her place in Paris.
Interestingly, none of the Olympic B-Girl medalists are included within the top 10. Japan's Ami, Lithuania's Nicka, and China's 671 emerged as the gold, silver, and bronze medalists respectively.
On Tuesday, the WDSF clarified that their rankings are updated based on the top four performances of each athlete within the past 12 months. Points accrued during these competitions remain valid for 52 weeks beginning from the event date.
The WDSF further confirmed that the Olympic qualifying events in Shanghai and Budapest, as well as the Paris Games, did not contribute to the ranking list due to limited athletic quotas. Additionally, they acknowledged that events that typically grant ranking points were suspended to allow competitors to focus on Olympic preparation.
“In accordance with the Olympic Qualification System, ranking events were intentionally not held between 31 December 2023 and the Paris 2024 Olympics. This strategic scheduling permitted athletes to concentrate solely on the last phase of their Olympic qualification without the added pressure of additional ranking events.
“By the end of the Paris Games, many of the ranking results were invalidated, leading to the present situation where many athletes have only one performance contributing to their ranking.”
The WDSF suggested that these current rankings should be evaluated in conjunction with more recent results and that they would evolve when the following batch of 12-month points expired and the Breaking for Gold World Series was held in Shanghai in October.
Raygun gained prominence with her unconventional routine at the Olympics, attracting the world's attention. Clad in the green and gold tracksuit of Australia, she exhibited unusual moves, such as a kangaroo hop, a backflip, and various body contortions while lying or crawling on the floor.
She received criticism online for her performance, with one social media user, formerly known as Twitter's X, labeling her routines as "hilariously ridiculous," while another questioned her qualification for reaching this stage.
Celebrities also chimed in, with singer Adele wondering if it was a "joke" during her Munich show, while actress Rachel Dratch mimicked some of the moves on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
Raygun, a university lecturer, later apologized to the breaking community for the backlash she spawned with her performance, but received defense from some within the sport.
“It's all about originality and introducing something fresh to the table, representative of your country or region,” stated Martin Gilian, the principal breaking judge at the Olympics.
“She introduced some unique moves, which might have been amusing or entertaining to some, but for us, she simply represented breaking and hip-hop. She tried to be original and bring something new to the table. From our perspective, nothing was remarkably surprising.”
Raygun described the online reaction as “devastating” but remained positive about the entire experience.
“I was fully aware that I would lose and that people would not comprehend my style or approach,” she explained in an interview with Australian current affairs show The Project. “The odds were stacked against me, that much is certain.”
“I would rather concentrate on the positive responses and the joy I brought people, rather than dwell on the negativity,” she added. “It's about going out there, enjoying yourself, and giving it your all, despite the setbacks.”
Breaking made its Olympic debut at the 2024 Paris Games but will not be included in Los Angeles in 2028.
CNN's George Ramsay and Catherine Nicholls contributed to this report.
Raygun's apology to the breaking community for the backlash caused by her unconventional Olympic performance was met with defense from some within the sport. sports like breaking and hip-hop encourage originality and introducing something fresh, as demonstrated by Raygun's unique moves.
Despite the criticism, Raygun remains focused on the positive responses and the joy she brought to audiences during the Olympics, believing in the importance of enjoying oneself and giving it one's best, regardless of setbacks.
