Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn is ‘not returning to Australia’ after competing at the Paris Olympics and not earning a single point
The Australian athlete has become an internet sensation after her unusual performance at the Olympics and failing to achieve a single point for her display.
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The 36-year-old appeared to give the performance her all, spinning on her head, rolling around the floor on her shoulders and throwing her arms in the air.
She had a unique style of breakdancing, with the internet having mixed feelings about her performance….with fans commenting on her “kangaroo hop” move.
Talking to Sky News, the athlete admitted:
“I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best — their power moves,”
“What I bring is creativity.”
One Olympics fan went to X to share their feelings:
“I want Raygun, the 36 year old Australian breakdancer possessed by the spirit of Julia Stiles in Save the Last Dance, to know that I am now her biggest fan and she should never stop doing whatever it is she’s trying to do,”
Another added: “Obsessed with Raygun because I identify with the level of dorkiness she projects.”
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While other viewers weren’t so impressed:
“If this Raygun lady turns out to be a comedian who somehow blagged her way through qualifiers and all the way to the Olympics, and was bad on purpose, it will be one of the greatest bits ever achieved,”
Another said: “It’s surprising that Raygun from Australia is the top breaker. The kangaroo move — how did she make it this far?! She should’ve swapped the kangaroo for a banana to really stand out. What is this? Seriously, is breakdancing really an Olympic event?”
The Australian breakdancer Raygun you’ve seen clips of beat 14 opponents to secure a spot at the olympics. She also has a PhD in breakdancing.
I had to see what those finals looked like. Yeah, it’s what you’d expect. pic.twitter.com/9ez2i0SsSe
— Micah Whipple (@micahwhipple) August 9, 2024
The sporting body explained how the athlete made it to the Olympics in the first place:
“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. 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.
“A panel of nine international adjudicators, a head judge and a chairperson who oversaw the competition, using the same judging system at the Paris Games and trained to uphold the highest standards of impartiality. These judges are all highly respected in their respective communities and in the international breaking scene.
“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. In the lead-up to Paris, Raygun used her platform as the Australian Breaking representative to consistently advocate in the media for breaking’s history, artistic and athletic values, and its cultural 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.”
Raygun’s father-in-law, Andrew Free, wrote on social media:
“It was a pretty stacked competition and the judges were clearly looking for a certain style of breaking which is not Rachael’s.
“Although they are supposed to mark five different aspects with each having the same weighting, in my obviously biased opinion they did not reward originality and musicality so she was up against it.
“The main thing is she represented Australia and breaking at the Olympics with courage and dignity.”
After her internet fame, Sergey Nifontov, general secretary of the World DanceSport Federation, said the athlete has been offered mental health support. When speaking of the amount of negative attention she received online, Nifontov said: “That should not happen in our world. Something is going in the wrong direction.”
Taking to Instagram, the star shared: “Don’t be afraid to be different, go out there and represent yourself, you never know where that’s gonna take you,”
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Aussie olympians touched down home on Wednesday morning but Raygun was not amongst them…
She instead plans to stay in Europe with her husband Samuel Free and her parents – presumably for some downtime following the online controversy, as reported by 2GB.
