Raygun’s family raised concerns for her before her appearance on the Olympics.
Breakdancing athlete Rachael “Raygun” Gunn has become an internet sensation after her unusual performance at the Olympics and failing to achieve a single point for her display.
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.”
View this post on Instagram
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
Raygun’s family were not particularly happy with her style of dance. The athlete said in an interview with CNBC:
“They were happy that I was dancing again since so much time and money was spent when I was younger, but they would have preferred for me to take on a more feminine dance style,”
“My coach has criticised me for being a little too cautious in breaking, but it has paid off. I’ve never been seriously injured in breaking – only twinges that were very easily fixed by physiotherapy,” she said.
“When I first started, I didn’t have the upper body strength, or the strength at all, required to break and that’s something I’m still building over the last 13 years.”
The dancer said she didn’t know the level of ‘joy she brought’ in to people’s lives and she is grateful. She added:
“I wanted to start by thanking all the people who supported me. I really appreciate the positivity and was glad I was able to bring some joy in to your lives. That’s what I hoped,”
“I wanted to start by thanking all the people who supported me. I really appreciate the positivity and was glad I was able to bring some joy in to your lives. That’s what I hoped,” Raygun said.
“I didn’t realise that would also open the door to so much hate which has frankly been pretty devastating.
“I went out there and I had fun. I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off working for the Olympics. I gave my all, truly.
“Im honoured to have been a part of the Australian Olympic team and breaking Olympic debut. What the other athletes have achieved has been phenomenal.”
View this post on Instagram
She has become an internet sensation overnight but not for much longer if the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has anything to do with it.
The IOC is being strict with copyright – reporting any accounts that post or share videos from specific Olympic events.
Some Twitter users have commented that their posts and memes of the athlete have been removed due to violating he DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act).
The sporting body explained how the athlete even 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.”
