- The World Dance Sport Federation justifies why Raygun is number 1
- The organization explains exactly how its rankings work
- Raygun was criticized for his Olympic breakdance routine
The World Dancesport Federation has explained why it has given Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn the world number one spot, after her performances during the Paris Olympics sparked a backlash.
Gunn, 36, became an overnight sensation for his comedy routine at the Paris 2024 Olympics, which became the most talked-about moment of the event.
Her routine includes kangaroo hops, snake-like slithering on the floor and a strange wardrobe choice, as Raygun ditches streetwear and opts for an Australian tracksuit.
Raygun failed to score a single competition point in three battles against Nicka, Sya ‘Syssy’ Dembele and Logan ‘Logistx’ Edra.
However, that hasn’t stopped the World Dance Sport Federation from elevating Raygun to world number 1 in its latest rankings.
She was named the world’s top b-girl in the September rankings, while Olympic medallists Ami ‘Ami’ Yuasa, Dominika ‘Nicka’ Banevic and Liu ‘671’ Qingyi were all excluded from the list.
The WDSF released a statement to explain how the rankings work, saying that ranking points are based on an athlete’s four best performances over the past 12 months.
They also noted that the recent Olympics did not offer ranking points “due to limited athlete quotas.”
The World Dance Sport Federation has explained why it has included Raygun at number 1 in its latest world ranking
The Australian dancer received a lot of criticism for her performance at the Paris Olympics.
“We would like to take this opportunity to provide clarity on the ranking methodology and address the concerns raised,” the WDSF statement begins.
‘In addition, in accordance with the Olympic Qualification System, qualifying events were intentionally not held between 31 December 2023 and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
‘This strategic scheduling allowed athletes to focus solely on the latter part of their Olympic qualification without the added pressure of additional qualifying events.
‘As a result, by the end of the Olympic Games, many of the competition results included in the classification had expired, leading to the current situation where many athletes only have one competition result contributing to their classification.
‘Due to the unique circumstances surrounding this year’s qualifying events, it is not unusual in the period immediately following the Olympic Games for some athletes to be classified according to only one event.’
The statement suggested that their rankings should not be higher than the results of the recent Olympic Games.
Raygun has now returned to Australia and has been linked to a number of reality shows.
Raygun’s Olympic performance did not affect his world ranking
The Australian breakdancer will drop out of the current rankings when her points expire at the end of October.
“The WDSF remains steadfast in its commitment to transparency and fairness in the competitive qualification process,” the governing body said.
We hope this explanation resolves any concerns regarding the methodology behind the current classification.
Since rocketing to stardom with her rival act, Raygun has been linked to reality shows such as Channel 10’s I’m a Celebrity and rubbed shoulders with billionaire Richard Branson and 80s pop icon Boy George.
But in her only interview in Australia since the Olympics, she told supporters it could be a while before she can compete again.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to compete for a while. I don’t want to be the center of attention, to compete,” she said on The Project.
“It’s been nice. It’s been quite a process trying to get back into dancing. It’s been tough actually. You know, it was my medicine and then it became my source of stress.
“I’m really happy that it’s my medicine again. I can finally feel free again. I’m really looking forward to getting back to racing, but no, I don’t think I’ll be able to compete for a while.”
