Raygun Defends Record as Australia’s Best Breakdancer

Australian Olympian Rachael Gunn has apologised to the country’s breakdancing community for the “backlash” they faced after her controversial routine in Paris made headlines around the world.

Gunn, who goes by the name Raygun, was eliminated from the B-Girls competition with a score of zero. Her unorthodox style was both ridiculed and praised by users on social media.

In her first interview since competing at the Games – and amid questions about her qualifications and achievements – Gunn was asked if she really thought she was Australia’s best female breakdancer.

“I think my track record reflects that,” she told Network 10’s The Project.

“It’s really sad to hear that criticism and I feel really bad for the negative reactions the community has experienced, but I can’t control how people react,” she continued, responding to the flood of criticism her routine has received online.

The 36-year-old university lecturer has lost all three of her Olympic fights, while her green tracksuit and eccentric performance – including the sprinkler move and kangaroo-inspired hop – spawned a sea of ​​memes.

After her performance, Gunn was accused of manipulating the selection process, including setting up her own governing body and having her husband serve as a juror during her qualifying process.

These claims have since been labelled as false by several organisations, including the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) and the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF).

“The conspiracy theories were just horrendous,” Gunn told Network 10.

“I was the highest ranked Australian B-girl in 2020 and 2022 and 2023. I’ve been invited to represent at how many world championships… So, the record is there. But anything can happen in a fight,” she added.

Gunn, who has a background as a jazz, tap and ballroom dancer, had publicly defended her routine as “artistic and creative”.

“I could never beat these girls in terms of what they do best, the dynamics and the power moves, so I wanted to move differently,” she said last month.

The highest jury that supervised the B-Girls competition also threw his weight behind Gunnas well as team officials and the wider Olympic breakdance community.

But the aftermath has caused division and disappointment among Australian sports enthusiasts.

“It made a mockery of the Australian scene and I think that’s why a lot of us suffer,” Australian hip-hop pioneer Spice previously told the BBC.

Breaking is a hip-hop-inspired dance that originated in the 1970s in the boroughs of New York. The dance was included in this year’s Olympic Games program to attract a younger audience to the Games.

However, some critics believe it should never have been included, due to the organic nature of the genre, which does not necessarily lend itself to organized competition.

After her performance in Paris, Gunn made a direct appeal to the media in a video on her Instagram to stop “harassing” her family and friends.

In her interview with Network 10, she described being hounded by reporters in the aftermath of the attack as “really wild”.

“That really freaked me out… Dancing was my medicine, and then it became my source of stress,” she said.

Gunn admitted she’s “not in a position yet” to review her performance, but she was moved by the support she received from her fellow Olympians during the closing ceremony, as well as from some of the audience.

“It warmed my heart so much,” she said. “I would rather focus on the positives of this and the joy that I brought to people.”