Raygun’s revenge: Lampooned Australian breakdancer tops world rankings

SYDNEY – Australian Olympic breakdancer “Raygun” has been ridiculed and written off, but the sport’s governing body confirmed on Sept 11 that she has now been crowned No. 1 in the world.

Rachael “Raygun” Gunn, 37, became something of a global laughing stock after her kangaroo-inspired routine failed to impress the judges at the Paris Olympics, where the sport of breaking made its debut.

Her moves were parodied on late-night talk shows, her unfashionable tracksuit was mocked online and breaking aficionados around the world questioned how she had made the team.

However, she got her revenge and the last laugh when the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) named her the No. 1 female breakdancer in the world.

The rankings were based on the athlete’s four top performances within the past 12 months, said the WDSF.

However, with few ranking events held between December 2023 and the Olympics, “many athletes have only one competition result contributing to their ranking”, a WDSF statement said.

Gunn won the Oceania Continental Championships in that period, earning her 1,000 ranking points. Japanese b-girl Riko Tsuhako’s win at the Gold World Series in Hong Kong in December saw her also awarded 1,000 points, but the WDSF said Gunn’s event carried more weight, so awarded her the top ranking.

But her reign at the top could be short-lived.

“The WDSF confirms that rankings will change after the 12-month points expire, and when the next WDSF Breaking for Gold World Series is held in Shanghai, China, in October 2024,” the statement added.

The organisation also said it remained “steadfast in its commitment to transparency and fairness” in the ranking process.

Gunn, a university lecturer, appeared on Australian TV last week to apologise for stirring up a backlash against the wider breakdancing community.

She said that she had not expected to do well at the Olympics, but that her record showed she was the best breaker in Australia.

“As soon as I qualified, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, what have I done?’ Because I knew that I was going to get beaten, and I knew that people were not going to understand my style and what I was going to do,” she said.

“And I am very sorry for the backlash that the community has experienced, but I can’t control how people react.”

Gunn had previously spoken out against the “pretty devastating” hatred unleashed after the Olympics.

“I went out there and I had fun. I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all,” she said in a video message in August.

While many ridiculed her performance on social media, Gunn also won support from others, including her fellow Australian Olympians and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. AFP