During a conversation with WIRED contributor Dexter Thomas at Tuesday’s Big Interview event, American b-boy and Olympic gold medalist Phil Wizard (real name: Phil Kim) made a point to distinguish his work and that of his peers from that of the much-maligned Australian b-girl, Raygun. While Wizard expressed sympathy for Raygun and condemned the bullying and mockery she has faced since the Paris Games, he also noted that she did not possess the same level of talent and expertise as other breakers at the Olympics. He pointed out that Raygun qualified for the Games through the Oceania qualifiers, which had a smaller pool of competitors and were held last-minute. Wizard acknowledged that gaps in ability are not uncommon in other sports, but because breaking has a subjective judging system, it was difficult for the average viewer to understand that Raygun was significantly less skilled than her fellow breakers. While breaking is not scheduled to be included in the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, Wizard expressed hope that changes would be made to make judging and scoring more transparent if the sport were to appear. He also emphasized the importance of connecting breaking with its hip-hop roots and recognizing its origins in the hip-hop community. Wizard believes that the message has been diluted over time and it is the responsibility of experts and organizers to preserve the sport’s roots.
