Australian break dancer "Raygun" has shared her reaction to being ridiculed online for her performance during the breaking competition at the Paris Olympics.
Clips of Raygun’s routine went viral on social media as viewers discussed her unique performance. One particular move, which some referred to as the “kangaroo” given the 36-year-old athlete’s native country, was turned into a meme.
Raygun, whose name is Rachael Gunn, spoke about the response to her performance in an Instagram video she shared on Aug. 15.
"I just want to start by thanking all the people who have supported me," she said. "I really appreciate the positivity, and I'm glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives. That's what I hoped.
"I didn't realize that that would also open the door to so much hate, which is frankly been pretty devastating," she continued. "Well, 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, truly."
She added that she is now traveling in Europe for some "preplanned down time" and will answer any questions when she returns to Australia.
"I'd really like to ask the press to please stop harassing my family, my friends, the Australian breaking community and the broader street dance community," she said. "Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this, so I ask you to please respect their privacy."
During the final week of the Summer Games, breaking made its debut and captured the internet's attention. Although Team USA’s Victor Montalvo, Sunny Choi, Logan Edra and Jeffrey Louis proudly represented the United States, it was Raygun who became a focus of her event on Aug. 9.
But as many poked fun at the dancer, some circulated rumors that questioned Raygun's legitimacy. After one particular unsubstantiated claim that the Aussie "manipulated" the selection process gained traction on X, the Australian Breaking Organization released a statement that dismissed the allegation.
"The selection process for Australia’s Breaking team heading to Paris was conducted over two days, and open to all interested participants in the Oceanic region," the organization said in a statement shared on its website Aug. 13. "Adhering to World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) regulations, which align with International Olympic Committee (IOC) standards, the process aimed to ensure a fair and transparent outcome."
The organization went on to explain that the Oceania Olympic selection event that occurred in October 2023 used the same judging criteria that was seen at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"Ultimately, Rachael Gunn and Jeff Dunne emerged as the top performers in exactly the same process, securing their spots to represent Australia in Paris. Their selection was based solely on their performance in their battles on that day," the organization said.
In her Instagram video, Raygun directed people to the statement by the Australian Breaking Organization "in regards to the allegations and misinformation floating around."
The organization also praised Raygun for using her platform as a member of Team Australia to advocate for more education about breaking and its origins.
"We condemn the global online harassment and bullying of Raygun. The pressure to perform on the Olympic stage is immense, especially against the opponents in her particular group. We stand in solidarity with Raygun," the organization concluded.
During the breaking competition on Aug. 9, Raygun went up against USA’s Edra, Lithuania’s Dominika Banevič and France’s Sya Dembélé.
Japan’s Ami Yuasa took home the gold, while Banevič nabbed the silver and China’s Liu Qingyi won the bronze. Raygun, on her end, finished in 16th place, but soon trended on social media. One of her moves that went viral was a backwards roll, with a side pose and toe touches. She also busted out the sprinkler. Her confidence exuded on the stage as she showed off her skills and seemingly became a breakout breaking star.
"‘raygun’ from australia is my olympic hero actually," tweeted @coso9001.
User @_Quezare also wrote: "Can we PLEASE get Raygun as our flag bearer for the Closing Ceremony. I have never been prouder to be Australian #BreakingForGold #Olympics."
Even Adele brought up Raygun during her Aug. 10 concert in Munich, Germany, calling the Australian's performance "the best thing that's happened in the Olympics."
"It's all me and my friends have been talking about last night after the show and today."
After captivating the world, Raygun posted a quote on her Instagram, which read: “Don’t be afraid to be different, go out there and represent yourself, you never know where that’s gonna take you.”
She returned to Instagram stories hours later with a text post in which she wrote that she was "looking forward to the same level of scrutiny on what the bboys wear tomorrow." While her moves drew conversation on social media, her outfit did as well.
On Aug. 10, Australia's Chef de Mission Anna Meares spoke out in a press conference about Raygun's virality on social media and the online criticism that followed her performance.
“Raygun is an absolutely loved member of this Olympic team. She has represented the Olympic team, the Olympic spirit with great enthusiasm. And I absolutely love her courage. I love her character, and I feel very disappointed for her, that she has come under the attack that she has,” Meares said in the conference, according to ESPN.
So who is Rachael Gunn, AKA Raygun, the breaker from Australia Read on to find out more and see what she said about qualifying for the Summer Games.
She is a professor
Aside from being a professional breaker, the Olympian is a lecturer at Sydney’s Macquarie University with a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies, according to CNBC.
“In 2023, many of my students didn’t believe me when I told them I was training to qualify for the Olympics, and were shocked when they checked Google and saw that I qualified,” she said.
Raygun told the publication that her teaching and research centers on breaking, hip hop and gender stereotypes that surround the dance styles.
She's represented Australia before
Making it to the Olympics is no easy feat. Known as the country's best female breaker, Raygun has proudly represented Australia in 2021, 2022 and 2023 at the World Breaking Championships, per CNBC. She ranked 64th out of 80 breakers.
She had dreams of competing at the Olympics
The breaker pushed herself "harder than ever" to qualify for the Paris Games.
“In breaking, you just never know what’s going to happen on the day. You always have to be prepared. I knew the stakes were higher for the Olympic qualifiers, and prepared 10 different sets and made sure I included all the elements and moves in the rounds,” she told CNBC. “I really, really,wanted it, and so I fought really hard throughout the competition and just put everything out there.”
She danced from a young age and started breaking later in life
Over her lifetime, Raygun has dabbled in many styles of dance, from ballet to tap, entering into breaking at a later stage in her life.
Her then-boyfriend, now husband and coach, introduced her to breaking when she was 20 after seeing that she picked up the beat and rhythm of the music faster than other students.
Since then, she’s worked on her upper body strength and her specialty, which she describes as “style and creativity, not dynamics or power moves like many other dancers.”
She hopes to inspire other generations of dancers
Raygun noted in her interview that breakdancing "was considered a bit of a joke" in Australia. But now that it was officially included in the Olympics, she hopes it motivates more people to try the style of dance.
“We’re inspiring a whole new generation of people to get into breaking. This is so exciting for us and we just want to share this culture, this dance, and this sport,” she said.
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