豪ブレイキン選手、汚名返上の世界１位 パリ五輪では物議の演技

【シドニーＡＦＰ＝時事】世界ダンススポーツ連盟（ＷＤＳＦ）は１０日、ブレイクダンスの最新世界ランキングを発表し、パリ五輪での演技が物議を醸したオーストラリアのレイチェル・ガン（ダンサー名・Ｒａｙｇｕｎ）が女子の１位になった。（写真はパリ五輪のブレイキン女子で演技に臨むオーストラリアのレイチェル・ガン）
　３７歳のガンは、パリ五輪のブレイキン女子でカンガルーをまねる動きなどを取り入れた演技が世界的に嘲笑の的となったが、このたび世界ランク１位になり、汚名を返上した。
　ＷＤＳＦによれば、世界ランキングは過去１２か月間の上位成績四つに基づいて決められる。ただし、２０２３年１２月からパリ五輪までの期間に開催された世界ランクの対象大会が少なかったため、「多くの選手はランキングに反映される大会結果が一つしかなかった」という。
　その中でガンは対象期間にオセアニア選手権で優勝し、１０００ポイントを獲得していた。
　日本の津波古梨心（ダンサー名・Ｒｉｋｏ）も２０２３年１２月に香港で行われた国際大会「ワールドシリーズ」を制して１０００ポイントを手にしたが、ＷＤＳＦは、オセアニア選手権の方がワールドシリーズよりも大会としてのグレードが高いため、ガンを１位にしたと説明した。
　ただし、ポイントは１年で失効となり、世界ランキングは来月に次回の更新を控えているため、ガンはすぐに１位の座を失うことになるとみられる。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/09/11-17:38）

Australian Olympic breakdancer Raygun has been ridiculed, written off, and now crowned number one in the world, the sport's governing body confirmed Wednesday.
Rachael Raygun Gunn, 37, became something of a global laughing stock after her kangaroo-inspired routine failed to impress the judges at the Paris Olympics, where the sport of breaking made its debut.
Her moves were parodied on late-night talk shows, her unfashionable tracksuit was lampooned online and breaking aficionados around the world questioned how she had made the team.
But Raygun got her revenge and the last laugh when the World Dance Sport Federation (WDSF) named her the number one female breakdancer in the world.
The rankings were based on the athlete's four top performances within the past 12 months, said the WDSF on Wednesday.
However, with few ranking events held between December 2023 and the Olympics, many athletes have only one competition result contributing to their ranking, a WDSF statement said.
Gunn won the Oceania Continental Championship in that period, earning her 1000 ranking points.
Japanese B-girl Riko's win at the Gold World Series in Hong Kong in December 2023 saw her also awarded 1000 points, but the WDSF said Raygun's event carried more weight, so awarded her the top ranking.
Raygun's reign at the top could be short-lived.
The WDSF confirms that rankings will change after the 12-month points expire, and when the next WDSF Breaking for Gold World Series is held in Shanghai in October 2024, the statement added.
The WDSF said it remained steadfast in its commitment to transparency and fairness in the competitive ranking process.
Gunn, a university lecturer, appeared on Australian TV last week to apologise for stirring up a backlash against the wider breakdancing community.
Gunn said she had not expected to do well at the Olympics, but that her record showed she was the best breaker in Australia.
As soon as I qualified, I was like, oh my gosh, what have I done? Because I knew that I was going to get beaten, and I knew that people were not going to understand my style and what I was going to do, she said.
And I am very sorry for the backlash that the community has experienced, but I can't control how people react.
Gunn had previously spoken out against the pretty devastating hatred unleashed after the Olympics.
I went out there and I had fun. I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all, she said in a video message last month.
While many ridiculed her performance on social media, Gunn won support from others, including her fellow Australian Olympians and Australia's prime minister.