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B-girl Raygun Retains Top Ranking Despite Olympic Misstep

Summary
Australian breaker Rachel Gunn, known as B-girl Raygun, remains first in the world rankings despite not scoring at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The World DanceSport Federation clarifies rankings are based on top performances over the last year, excluding Olympic events. Criticism arises regarding the WDSF’s authority and its event organization, with upcoming changes expected after more competitions.

Despite her notable performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Australian breaker Rachel Gunn, known in the breaking community as B-girl Raygun, maintains her position at the apex of the current world rankings. This is clarified by the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), which revealed that the rankings are determined by an athlete’s top four performances over the preceding twelve months, excluding Olympic events from consideration. At the Tokyo Summer Games, Raygun did not score any points; however, she accumulated 1,000 points by securing first place at the Oceania continental championships in October 2023. The WDSF emphasized that the absence of ranking events between December 2023 and the Paris Games allowed dancers to concentrate on the qualifying procedures for the Olympics. There has been some criticism regarding the WDSF’s rankings and their relevance in the breaking community. Zack Slusser, the vice president of Breaking for Gold USA, expressed skepticism, stating, “Speaking of the WDSF, they actually don’t have any real merit with the breakers or the breaking community.” He further elaborated that the organization has struggled to arrange events that could provide a more accurate global ranking. Following the conclusion of more events, the WDSF intends to update its rankings, commencing with the Breaking for Gold World Series scheduled to take place in Shanghai next month.

Breaking, commonly referred to as breakdancing, will make its Olympic debut in the 2024 Paris Games. The sport has been gaining international recognition, and its ranking system is crucial for determining athletes’ standings in the lead-up to significant competitions like the Olympics. The World DanceSport Federation governs these rankings, basing them on athletes’ performances in sanctioned events. However, controversy has arisen regarding the efficacy of the rankings, particularly after the Olympic qualifying events where some significant competitors, including Raygun, did not perform as expected.

In summary, despite an underwhelming performance at the 2024 Olympics, B-girl Raygun remains the top-ranked athlete in breaking as a result of her earlier success at the Oceania championships. The existing ranking structure, as managed by the WDSF, has come under scrutiny, calling into question its representation of the breaking community. The upcoming Breaking for Gold World Series may provide an opportunity for recalibration of these rankings as more events occur in the near future.

Original Source: www.cbssports.com

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