Rachael Gunn, known in the breakdancing world as B-Girl Raygun, has climbed to the top of the World Ranking List in her sport.

On Monday, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) named Raygun the No. 1 B-Girl globally, a position she earned ahead of Japan’s B-Girl Riko and Ukraine’s B-Girl Stefani. This summer, Raygun went viral during the 2024 Paris Olympics due to her distinctive performance during the breaking competition.

The recent rankings sparked similar excitement.

On Tuesday, the WDSF released a statement to clarify how the rankings are determined and to address questions regarding Raygun’s and Riko’s positions in the recent list.

The WDSF noted that both Raygun and Riko received 1,000 ranking points for their respective victories at the Oceania Continental Championships in October 2023 and the Breaking for Gold World Series in December 2023. Despite this tie, the WDSF stated that Raygun’s championship win ranks higher than Riko’s, as per their Breaking Rules and Regulations Manual.

For the rankings, each dancer’s four best performances over a 12-month timeframe are considered. Points earned by each dancer expire 52 weeks after the event. (Note that the Olympics are not included as a ranking event.)

The WDSF highlighted that the current world ranking list is influenced by the Olympic competition cycle. From January until the Paris Games in 2024, there were no ranking events, meaning some athletes have their ranks based on a single competition.

“Following the Olympic Games, many results included in the ranking had expired, which led to the situation where numerous athletes only have one event affecting their rank,” the WDSF explained. “WDSF ranking events will resume later this year, so the current rankings should be viewed alongside recent results from global Breaking competitions for a clearer picture of the competitive field.”

The next WDSF Breaking for Gold World Series is scheduled for October in Shanghai.

Raygun, a 37-year-old college professor, gained attention at the Paris Games after losing all three of her preliminary rounds and not scoring any points.

“I really appreciate all the positivity, and I’m happy to have brought joy to so many. That was my goal,” Gunn stated in a video shared on Instagram in August after the Games. “However, I didn’t expect it to also attract a lot of negativity, which has been quite tough to deal with.”

“I did my best out there, and I truly enjoyed it. I took my preparation for the Olympics seriously and put in a lot of effort. I really gave it my all,” Gunn added.

Contributing: Carrie McDonald