Australian breaker Rachael Gunn has topped the latest world rankings despite her heavily-criticised performance at the Paris Olympics. Watch in for more details!

Olympic flop Rachael Gunn earns world no. 1 ranking in Breakdancing

<p>Australian Olympian Rachael "Raygun" Gunn has been ranked the No.1 breakdancer in the world, according to the latest&nbsp;women’s rankings released by the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) – the governing body of breaking and other dancesports.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Gunn, who faced widespread criticism for her shoddy performance at the Paris Olympics that went viral on social media, claimed the numero uno position, courtesy of her gold medal at the&nbsp;2023 WDSF Oceania Championships. The win helped her secure 1,000 ranking points and come level on points with world no. 2&nbsp;B-Girl Riko of Japan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The governing body stated that Olympic qualifying events as well as the Paris Games themselves did not contribute to the ranking list due to limited athlete quotas.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“In alignment with the Olympic Qualification System, ranking events were intentionally not held between 31 December 2023 and the Olympic Games Paris 2024," WDSF said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"This strategic scheduling allowed athletes to focus solely on the last part of their Olympic qualification without the added pressure of additional ranking events."</p>

<p>The decision left the netizens confused who wondered how Raygun could reach the summit of world rankings despite her poor performances at the marquee event.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>One user said: "How do they even rank this like is it voted by people or committee??", while another added: "Well, bad publicity is still publicity."</p>

<p>A third commented: "Then they wonder why breakdancing is not taken seriously as a sport."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The World DanceSport Federation has listed Raygun as the No. 1 breakdancer in the world.<br />
<br />
This is not satire. <a href="https://t.co/cLxLpiUgLo">pic.twitter.com/cLxLpiUgLo</a></p>
— Clown Down Under 🤡 (@clowndownunder) <a href="https://twitter.com/clowndownunder/status/1833433644981006651?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/olympic-viral-break-dancer-raygun-slams-trolls-750744" target="_blank"><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Olympic viral break dancer 'Raygun' slams trolls</strong></a></p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/olympic-viral-break-dancer-raygun-slams-trolls-750744/embed" width="560"></iframe></p>

<h2><strong>Raygun's Olympics performance&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Notably, Raygun&nbsp;participated in three Olympic battles&nbsp;against breakers from the United States, France and Lithuania and lost all of them without scoring a single point.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Wearing a green tracksuit, Raygun delivered a rather eccentric performance which included kangaroo-inspired hopping as a dance move which instantly led to a sea of memes on social media.</p>

<p>Quizzed during an interview about her performance, Raygun said she is Australia's&nbsp;best B-girl and her 'record speaks' for itself.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“I think my record speaks to that,” said Raygun in her first sit-down interview with Network 10 earlier this month.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/olympics/news-pretty-devastating-australia-breakdancer-rachael-gunn-on-online-hatred-for-paris-olympics-performance-750573" target="_blank"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;Pretty devastating: Australia breakdancer Rachael Gunn on online hatred for Paris Olympics performance</strong></a></p>

<p>When asked&nbsp;about the disapproval from the breaking community, with some claiming she had set back the progression of the sport, Gunn said:</p>

<p>“It is really sad to hear those criticisms and I am very sorry for the backlash that the community has experienced, but I can’t control how people react."</p>

<p>In the aftermath of her performance,&nbsp;accusations were levelled that Raygun&nbsp;manipulated the selection process by setting up her own governing body where her husband judged her qualification trial.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Australian Olympian Rachael "Raygun" Gunn has been ranked the No.1 breakdancer in the world, according to the latest women’s rankings released by the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) – the governing body of breaking and other dancesports.

Australian Olympian Rachael "Raygun" Gunn has been ranked the No.1 breakdancer in the world, according to the latest women’s rankings released by the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) – the governing body of breaking and other dancesports. Gunn, who faced widespread criticism for her shoddy performance at the Paris Olympics that went viral on social media, claimed the numero uno position, courtesy of her gold medal at the 2023 WDSF Oceania Championships. The win helped her secure 1,000 ranking points and come level on points with world no. 2 B-Girl Riko of Japan. The governing body stated that Olympic qualifying events as well as the Paris Games themselves did not contribute to the ranking list due to limited athlete quotas. “In alignment with the Olympic Qualification System, ranking events were intentionally not held between 31 December 2023 and the Olympic Games Paris 2024," WDSF said. "This strategic scheduling allowed athletes to focus solely on the last part of their Olympic qualification without the added pressure of additional ranking events." The decision left the netizens confused who wondered how Raygun could reach the summit of world rankings despite her poor performances at the marquee event. One user said: "How do they even rank this like is it voted by people or committee??", while another added: "Well, bad publicity is still publicity." A third commented: "Then they wonder why breakdancing is not taken seriously as a sport." The World DanceSport Federation has listed Raygun as the No. 1 breakdancer in the world. This is not satire. pic.twitter.com/cLxLpiUgLo — Clown Down Under 🤡 (@clowndownunder) September 10, 2024 × Watch | Olympic viral break dancer 'Raygun' slams trolls Raygun's Olympics performance Notably, Raygun participated in three Olympic battles against breakers from the United States, France and Lithuania and lost all of them without scoring a single point. Wearing a green tracksuit, Raygun delivered a rather eccentric performance which included kangaroo-inspired hopping as a dance move which instantly led to a sea of memes on social media. Quizzed during an interview about her performance, Raygun said she is Australia's best B-girl and her 'record speaks' for itself. “I think my record speaks to that,” said Raygun in her first sit-down interview with Network 10 earlier this month. Also read | Pretty devastating: Australia breakdancer Rachael Gunn on online hatred for Paris Olympics performance When asked about the disapproval from the breaking community, with some claiming she had set back the progression of the sport, Gunn said: “It is really sad to hear those criticisms and I am very sorry for the backlash that the community has experienced, but I can’t control how people react." In the aftermath of her performance, accusations were levelled that Raygun manipulated the selection process by setting up her own governing body where her husband judged her qualification trial. (With inputs from agencies)

Viral Australian Olympian Raygun ranked no. 1 breakdancer in the world, netizens shocked

<p>Australian Olympian Rachael "Raygun" Gunn has claimed that she is the country's best breakdancing girl despite the flood of criticism she faced&nbsp;in the aftermath of her viral performance in Paris.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Raygun said her 'record speaks' for itself and that she cannot control the reaction of others.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“I think my record speaks to that,” said Raygun in her first sit-down interview with <em>Network 10 </em>when quizzed about her qualifications&nbsp;and performance at the Olympics.&nbsp;</p>

<p>When asked&nbsp;about the disapproval from the breaking community, with some claiming she had set back the progression of the sport, Gunn said:</p>

<p>“It is really sad to hear those criticisms and I am very sorry for the backlash that the community has experienced, but I can’t control how people react."</p>

<p>Gunn's performance also inspired a sketch on American&nbsp;comedian Jimmy Fallon’s <em>The Tonight Show</em> to which she had an indifferent reaction.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“I don’t know whether to hug him or yell at him because – what a platform he ended up giving me, honestly.&nbsp;I haven’t actually seen the sketch because I don’t think I’m in a place yet to watch it, but I will watch it at some point," she said.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Judges made the right call here because what was that move lol <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Olympics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Olympics</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Breakdancing?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Breakdancing</a> <a href="https://t.co/sXAs9AdHjX">pic.twitter.com/sXAs9AdHjX</a></p>
— MⓞNK BLOODY P👑s (@MonkeyBlood) <a href="https://twitter.com/MonkeyBlood/status/1821930098527711287?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/olympic-viral-break-dancer-raygun-slams-trolls-750744"><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Olympic viral break dancer 'Raygun' slams trolls</strong></a></p>

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<p>Raygun participated in three Olympic battles and lost all of them. Wearing a green tracksuit, she&nbsp;delivered a rather eccentric performance which included&nbsp;kangaroo-inspired hopping as a dance move which instantly led to a sea of memes on social media.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Post the performance, she appealed to the media in a video posted on her Instagram account to stop harassing her family and friends.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I didn't realise that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating," she said. "Well, 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. Truly."</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/olympics/news-pretty-devastating-australia-breakdancer-rachael-gunn-on-online-hatred-for-paris-olympics-performance-750573"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;Pretty devastating: Australia breakdancer Rachael Gunn on online hatred for Paris Olympics performance</strong></a></p>

<p>Breakdancing, introduced for the first time in the Olympics history as a sport, received&nbsp;negative reactions from viewers, partly due to Raygun's performance.</p>

<p>In the aftermath, accusations were levelled that Raygun had manipulated the selection process by setting up her own governing body where her husband judged her qualification trial.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Australian Olympian Rachael "Raygun" Gunn has claimed that she is the country's best breakdancing girl despite the flood of criticism she faced in the aftermath of her viral performance in Paris.

Australian Olympian Rachael "Raygun" Gunn has claimed that she is the country's best breakdancing girl despite the flood of criticism she faced in the aftermath of her viral performance in Paris. Raygun said her 'record speaks' for itself and that she cannot control the reaction of others. “I think my record speaks to that,” said Raygun in her first sit-down interview with Network 10 when quizzed about her qualifications and performance at the Olympics. When asked about the disapproval from the breaking community, with some claiming she had set back the progression of the sport, Gunn said: “It is really sad to hear those criticisms and I am very sorry for the backlash that the community has experienced, but I can’t control how people react." Gunn's performance also inspired a sketch on American comedian Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show to which she had an indifferent reaction. “I don’t know whether to hug him or yell at him because – what a platform he ended up giving me, honestly. I haven’t actually seen the sketch because I don’t think I’m in a place yet to watch it, but I will watch it at some point," she said. Judges made the right call here because what was that move lol #Olympics #Breakdancing pic.twitter.com/sXAs9AdHjX — MⓞNK BLOODY P👑s (@MonkeyBlood) August 9, 2024 × Watch | Olympic viral break dancer 'Raygun' slams trolls × Raygun participated in three Olympic battles and lost all of them. Wearing a green tracksuit, she delivered a rather eccentric performance which included kangaroo-inspired hopping as a dance move which instantly led to a sea of memes on social media. Post the performance, she appealed to the media in a video posted on her Instagram account to stop harassing her family and friends. "I didn't realise that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating," she said. "Well, 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. Truly." Also read | Pretty devastating: Australia breakdancer Rachael Gunn on online hatred for Paris Olympics performance Breakdancing, introduced for the first time in the Olympics history as a sport, received negative reactions from viewers, partly due to Raygun's performance. In the aftermath, accusations were levelled that Raygun had manipulated the selection process by setting up her own governing body where her husband judged her qualification trial. (With inputs from agencies)

'My record speaks...': Viral Olympics breakdancer claims she is Australia's best B-girl

<p>Australian breakdancer Raygun has spoken out against the "pretty devastating" hatred unleashed online since her widely lampooned Paris Olympics performance. Rachael "Raygun" Gunn, a 36-year-old Sydney university lecturer, has been ridiculed by some and cheered by others for her unique performance in Paris, where she won none of her three face-offs against other B-Girls.</p>

<p>Gunn thanked her supporters and said she was glad to bring them some joy, in a video from a Brussels street posted on her Instagram account on Thursday.</p>

<p>"I didn't realise that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating," she said. &nbsp;"Well, 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. Truly."</p>

<p>Gunn's kangaroo-mimicking moves and Australia-logoed tracksuit have been parodied worldwide, including by late-night US television host Jimmy Fallon. She has faced much stronger criticism and ridicule online.</p>

<p>The Australian Olympic Committee has decried a "misleading and bullying" online petition that described Gunn's performance as "unethical" and questioned how she was chosen for Paris. "In regards to the allegations and misinformation floating around, I'd like to ask everyone to please refer to the recent statement made by the AOC," Gunn said in her video.</p>

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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-sDDtfokE4/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Rachael Gunn (@raygun_aus)</a></p>
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<p>The poll on Change.org, which garnered tens of thousands of signatures demanding a public apology from the dancer, was unavailable on the platform on Friday.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/chris-kirk-takes-pga-lead-as-hideki-matsuyama-shrugs-off-robbery-to-take-second-spot-750533">Chris Kirk takes PGA lead as Hideki Matsuyama shrugs off 'robbery' to take second spot</a></strong></p>

<p>Gunn said she planned to remain in Europe for a few weeks for some "pre-planned downtime". In the meantime, she asked the media to "stop harassing" her family, friends and the breakdancing community.</p>

<p>"Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this so I ask you to please respect their privacy," she said, promising to answer more questions on her return to Australia.</p>

<p>Gunn's Olympic moves won support from many people, including her fellow Australian Olympians. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised her this week for "having a go". Breaking will not be on the programme for the next Olympics in Los Angeles in four years.</p>


Australian breakdancer Raygun has spoken out against the "pretty devastating" hatred unleashed online since her widely lampooned Paris Olympics performance. Rachael "Raygun" Gunn, a 36-year-old Sydney university lecturer, has been ridiculed by some and cheered by others for her unique performance in Paris, where she won none of her three face-offs against other B-Girls.

Australian breakdancer Raygun has spoken out against the "pretty devastating" hatred unleashed online since her widely lampooned Paris Olympics performance. Rachael "Raygun" Gunn, a 36-year-old Sydney university lecturer, has been ridiculed by some and cheered by others for her unique performance in Paris, where she won none of her three face-offs against other B-Girls. Gunn thanked her supporters and said she was glad to bring them some joy, in a video from a Brussels street posted on her Instagram account on Thursday. "I didn't realise that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating," she said. "Well, 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. Truly." Gunn's kangaroo-mimicking moves and Australia-logoed tracksuit have been parodied worldwide, including by late-night US television host Jimmy Fallon. She has faced much stronger criticism and ridicule online. The Australian Olympic Committee has decried a "misleading and bullying" online petition that described Gunn's performance as "unethical" and questioned how she was chosen for Paris. "In regards to the allegations and misinformation floating around, I'd like to ask everyone to please refer to the recent statement made by the AOC," Gunn said in her video. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rachael Gunn (@raygun_aus) × The poll on Change.org, which garnered tens of thousands of signatures demanding a public apology from the dancer, was unavailable on the platform on Friday. Also read: Chris Kirk takes PGA lead as Hideki Matsuyama shrugs off 'robbery' to take second spot Gunn said she planned to remain in Europe for a few weeks for some "pre-planned downtime". In the meantime, she asked the media to "stop harassing" her family, friends and the breakdancing community. "Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this so I ask you to please respect their privacy," she said, promising to answer more questions on her return to Australia. Gunn's Olympic moves won support from many people, including her fellow Australian Olympians. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised her this week for "having a go". Breaking will not be on the programme for the next Olympics in Los Angeles in four years.

Pretty devastating: Australia breakdancer Rachael Gunn on online hatred for Paris Olympics performance

The Taliban outlawed dozens of seemingly innocuous activities and pastimes in Afghanistan during their 1996-2001 rule - including kite flying, TV soap operas, pigeon racing, fancy haircuts, and even playing music. These have made a comeback in the years since, but fears are growing they will be banned again if the hardline Islamists return to power.

'Talibanned': From kite-running to breakdancing, Afghan pastimes again under threat

Breakdancing has become Olympic sport after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that four new sports have made it to the 2024 Paris Olympics with breakdancing being one of them.

Breakdance will make Olympic debut at 2024 Paris Games

<p>Breakdancing was one of four new sports along with skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing to get the Olympic green light on Monday for inclusion at the 2024 Paris Games.</p>

<p>The four sports were included as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board met to confirm the Paris 2024 programme.</p>

<p>Skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing have already been added to the programme for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which will take place in 2021 after being postponed by a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.</p>

<p>The introduction of breaking was "one of the results of the Olympic Agenda 2020", Bach said. "We had a clear priority to introduce sports (that are) particularly popular among the younger generation and taking into consideration the urbanisation of sport."</p>

<p>Breakdancing, which grew up alongside hip hop in the South Bronx of New York in the 1970s and is officially known in sport terms as "breaking", appeared at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, in the form of head-to-head "battles".</p>

<p>Russia's Sergei Chernyshev, competing under the nickname Bumblebee, won the first breakdancing gold medal for boys in that event, while Japan's Ramu Kawai won the girls' title.</p>

<p>"Today is a historic occasion not only for b-boys and b-girls but for all dancers around the world," said Shawn Tay, president of the World Dance Sport Federation (WDSF).</p>

<p>"The WDSF could not be prouder to have breaking included at Paris 2024... It was a true team effort to get to this moment and we will redouble our efforts in the lead-up to the Olympic Games to make sure the breaking competition at Paris 2024 will be unforgettable."</p>

<h2>- Paris podiums down to 329 -</h2>

<p>Federations of sports that already have Olympic status were left disappointed in their bid to increase events within their sports as IOC president Thomas Bach said that none of the proposed 41 events would be included in Paris.</p>

<p>While some sports substituted in some events within their existing event numbers, Bach said medal events had actually gone down from 339 to 329.</p>

<p>He said the athletes' quota for Paris had been fixed at 10,500, including those participating in the four new sports.</p>

<p>That represents a decrease of 600 from Tokyo Games, while gender equality would be attained for the first time in Olympic history in Paris.</p>

<p>The question of gender equality led to the demise of the men's 50km race walk, which first appeared at the 1932 Olympics.&nbsp;</p>

<p>IOC sports director Kit McConnell said the event would be replaced by a "mixed gender event".</p>

<p>There was a decision to "reach gender equality by removing the men's 50km race walk", rather than introducing a women's version, McConnell said, adding that the men and women's 20km race walks would remain.</p>

<p>The replacement event will not, however, be a mixed cross-country, which World Athletics had been pushing hard for.</p>

<p>"The event had to fit into an existing Olympic venue," McConnell said, explaining that a potential re-fit of the equestrian or mountain-bike venues to accommodate a cross-country was shown to be "too expensive and complex".</p>


Breakdancing was one of four new sports along with skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing to get the Olympic green light on Monday for inclusion at the 2024 Paris Games.

Breakdancing was one of four new sports along with skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing to get the Olympic green light on Monday for inclusion at the 2024 Paris Games. The four sports were included as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board met to confirm the Paris 2024 programme. Skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing have already been added to the programme for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which will take place in 2021 after being postponed by a year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The introduction of breaking was "one of the results of the Olympic Agenda 2020", Bach said. "We had a clear priority to introduce sports (that are) particularly popular among the younger generation and taking into consideration the urbanisation of sport." Breakdancing, which grew up alongside hip hop in the South Bronx of New York in the 1970s and is officially known in sport terms as "breaking", appeared at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, in the form of head-to-head "battles". Russia's Sergei Chernyshev, competing under the nickname Bumblebee, won the first breakdancing gold medal for boys in that event, while Japan's Ramu Kawai won the girls' title. "Today is a historic occasion not only for b-boys and b-girls but for all dancers around the world," said Shawn Tay, president of the World Dance Sport Federation (WDSF). "The WDSF could not be prouder to have breaking included at Paris 2024... It was a true team effort to get to this moment and we will redouble our efforts in the lead-up to the Olympic Games to make sure the breaking competition at Paris 2024 will be unforgettable." - Paris podiums down to 329 - Federations of sports that already have Olympic status were left disappointed in their bid to increase events within their sports as IOC president Thomas Bach said that none of the proposed 41 events would be included in Paris. While some sports substituted in some events within their existing event numbers, Bach said medal events had actually gone down from 339 to 329. He said the athletes' quota for Paris had been fixed at 10,500, including those participating in the four new sports. That represents a decrease of 600 from Tokyo Games, while gender equality would be attained for the first time in Olympic history in Paris. The question of gender equality led to the demise of the men's 50km race walk, which first appeared at the 1932 Olympics. IOC sports director Kit McConnell said the event would be replaced by a "mixed gender event". There was a decision to "reach gender equality by removing the men's 50km race walk", rather than introducing a women's version, McConnell said, adding that the men and women's 20km race walks would remain. The replacement event will not, however, be a mixed cross-country, which World Athletics had been pushing hard for. "The event had to fit into an existing Olympic venue," McConnell said, explaining that a potential re-fit of the equestrian or mountain-bike venues to accommodate a cross-country was shown to be "too expensive and complex".

Breakdancing gets Olympic green light for Paris 2024

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