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    The No. 1 Breaker in the World Is … Raygun?

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    The Australian breaker who was mocked at the Olympics for her kangaroo-hopping routine is now atop the official world rankings. Here’s how it happened.The breaker known as Raygun did terribly at the Olympics, losing all three of her head-to-head battles, each by scores of 18-0. Her unusual routines also made her an unexpected face of the Paris Games and earned her mockery worldwide.But she did receive one accolade this week. Somehow, improbably, B-girl Raygun — yes, the same Raygun who hopped like a kangaroo in her Olympic routines — is now the No. 1 ranked women’s breaker in the world.Raygun is the nom de break of Dr. Rachael Gunn, a 36-year-old professor from Australia. While other Olympic breakers spun dazzlingly on their heads and backs in this year’s Games, Raygun thrashed about on her side, reached for her toes, and hopped around in a salute to the kangaroos of her native country. Fans around the world, many being exposed to breaking competition for the first time as the sport made its Olympic debut, were baffled, amused, and in some cases outraged.Raygun’s total score of 0 points put her in last place among the 16 breakers in the main Olympic competition.So, in the latest world rankings, how could Raygun be in the No. 1 spot? After receiving a barrage of questions, the World DanceSport Federation, which oversees the sport internationally, released a statement Tuesday explaining the seeming incongruity.The ranking is based on events over the past year, the federation explained. During that time, the majority of breakers were focused on qualifying for the Olympics.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      The B-Boys and B-Girls of Breaking Put a New Spin on the Olympics

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      Talya MinsbergChang W. Lee and Breaking announced itself as an Olympic sport in Paris, making a memorable debut powered by a backbeat. Time will tell if the sport — really more of an art form — will become an Olympic staple, but it didn’t lack for exposure at these Games.Chang W. Lee/The New York TimesGabriela Bhaskar for The New York TimesThe competition came to a conclusion on Saturday with the men’s event in which Phil Kim of Canada, above, known as Wizard, took the gold medal. Danis Civil of France, known as Dany Dann, won silver and the American Victor Montalvo, known as B-Boy Victor, took the bronze.Chang W. Lee/The New York TimesChang W. Lee/The New York TimesThe first Olympic medal in breaking was awarded on Saturday night to Ami Yuasa of Japan, known as B-Girl Ami. Dominika Banevic of Lithuania, known as B-Girl Nicka, earned the silver, and Liu Qingyi of China, known as B-Girl 671, took the bronze. That diverse podium shows just how far breaking, born in the Bronx in the 1970s, has spread globally.Chang W. Lee/The New York TimesWhile not everyone received positive reviews, the breakers were met with generous cheers and earnest curiosity at La Concorde in Paris. The hosts of the event, standing at the center of a stage built to look like a record, repeated a refrain every few minutes. “You are witnessing history,” they said.Gabriela Bhaskar for The New York TimesGabriela Bhaskar for The New York TimesGabriela Bhaskar for The New York TimesGabriela Bhaskar for The New York TimesIt’s hard to say how breaking’s success at these Games will be evaluated. The event will not return to the Games in Los Angeles in 2028, but it could reappear in future Olympics. By then, a new generation will have to put its own spin on the sport. Gabriela Bhaskar for The New York Times More