Australian breakdancer Raygun, crushed at the Paris Olympics, at number 1

Rachael “Raygun” Gunn, the Australian breakdancer who rose to fame at the Paris Olympics, has been named the world’s best female breakdancer in the sport.

For those familiar with Gunn from her much-hyped performance at the Olympics, the rankings will likely come as a surprise. That’s why the World DanceSport Federation — the governing body that compiles the rankings — issued a statement to go along with the news.

Gunn broke through last summer in Paris and rose to worldwide fame when she lost three fights in the round-robin stage of the competition, scoring zero points.

Clips of her unusual performances – including hopping like a kangaroo and touching her toes while lying on her side – quickly spread, sparking both criticism and viral memes.

The WDSF’s statement on the sport’s global rankings on Tuesday said it wanted to “provide clarity” and “address the concerns raised”.

The ranking does not take into account scores achieved during the Olympic Games in Paris or during the qualifying rounds, the organization explained.

Also, no ranking events are held in the seven months leading up to the Olympic Games, so that athletes can concentrate on competition.

“At the end of the Olympic Games, many of the competition results that were included in the rankings were no longer valid. This has led to the current situation where many athletes have only one competition result that contributes to their ranking,” the statement said.

The organization pointed to one event: the Oceania Continental Championships in Sydney in October 2023, where Gunn scored 1,000 points.

Rachael Gun — “Raygun” — will compete in the 2023 WDSF Oceania Breaking Championships.

Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

The current world number 2 at the WDSF, Japanese boxer Riko, also achieved 1,000 points in a qualifying match.

In the event of a draw, the federation will look at the status of the competition.

Some in the breakdancing community have criticized the WDSF for not accurately representing the state of the sport and its culture.

“The WSDF really has no value to the breakers or the breaking community,” Zack Slusser, vice president of Breaking for Gold USA, told the Associated Press.

He added that the organization has not held enough events to make an accurate ranking.

Gunn, 37, is a lecturer at Macquarie University in Sydney, where she researches the cultural politics of breakdance.

According to her academic profile, Gunn was AusBreaking’s top-ranked B-girl in 2020 and 2021, representing Australia at events in Paris, Seoul and Leuven, Belgium.

She has also contributed to a number of scientific articles in this field.

Following the negative reactions to her Olympic performance, Gunn defended herself, saying in an interview with The Guardian that while she feels she cannot compete athletically, she is “artistic and creative” and “wants to move differently”.

She also responded to the widespread online mockery and misinformation about her qualifications, saying in an Instagram reel that it was “pretty damning.”

Representatives for Gunn did not immediately respond to requests for comment, which were sent outside Australian business hours.