Viral Olympic Breakdancer Raygun Named World No. 1 After Games Nixed Event
Immediately after the 2024 Olympics ended, fans of the Games looked ahead to 2028. Favorites including swimming and gymnastics will of course be returning to Olympic sports events, but others weren’t so lucky. Olympic breaking – or breakdancing – will not be part of the Summer Games in four years’ time, and some athletes weren’t thrilled with the decision. Keep reading to find out more about the event, what one competitor had to say and what will be replacing it in the next Olympics.
Olympics breakdancing won’t be part of the 2028 games
Olympic breaking made its debut during the 2024 Paris Olympics; however, it won’t be making a return any time soon. Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, and his colleagues decided to add in breaking in the hopes that it would attract younger, social media viewers and a new level of excitement to the viewers.
While entertaining, the breaking competition didn’t have the staying power the committee initially hoped for. Also, a sport isn’t considered a main part of the Olympics unless it’s played for three consecutive Games, and unfortunately breaking will not be.
What is breaking, also known as breakdancing?
Breaking is an urban dance style with roots in hip-hop that originated in the U.S. in the 1970s, per the Olympics website. Breaking is clearly athletic, with acrobatic movements and fancy footwork making up the bulk of a performance. A number of different aspects – like the DJs and MCs – are also important to the breaking performance.
Both men and women faced off in solo events (B-boys and B-girls) in attempts to score the first Olympic medals in this sport. According to the Olympics website, the rules stated that “athletes will use a combination of power moves — including windmills, the 6-step, and freezes — as they adapt their style and improvise to the beat of the DJ’s tracks.”
An athlete expressed disappointment that breaking won’t be included in the Summer 2028 Olympic Games
Rachael Gunn, an Australian competitor and known to viewers as Raygun, was upset with the decision to not include breaking in the 2028 Olympics. She didn’t score a single point during her three battles and instead, Japan took the gold medal in the B-girls event while Canada came out on top in the B-boys.
Raygun seems to have put breaking on the map with her unorthodox albeit entertaining routing featuring moves like the “kangaroo” and “the sprinkler.” Her routine went viral on social media, but she quickly defended herself and the sport.
Watch the video here:
"It was disappointing it was decided that it wouldn’t be in L.A., particularly before we even had a chance to show it," Gunn said in an interview with ESPN after her performance. “That was possibly a little premature. I wonder if they’re kicking themselves now,” she added.
Raygun's headline-making ranking as No. 1 world ranked breakdancer
Shortly after the Olympics came to an end, Raygun made headlines after being named the No. 1 breaker in the world by the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), despite not scoring a single point at the Olympics. How did this happen? Raygun took home the gold at the 2023 WDSF Oceania Championships, propelling her to the No. 1 spot, beating 8-Girl Riko of Japan.
What Olympic events can viewers look forward to for 2028?
The Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles in 2028, and the organizers are already hard at work to decide what events will be featured. With no Olympic breaking, the 2028 Games will see the return of cricket after a 128-year absence.
Cricket was only played once at the Olympics in 1900 and will be done in a Twenty20 format (a shortened game of cricket) It’s an event to look out for alongside flag football, lacrosse and squash. Flag football and squash will make their first appearances in 2028, while the other sports have been seen at the Olympics previously.
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