Rachael "Raygun" Gunn, an Australian breakdancer at the Paris Olympics 2024, faced intense social media scrutiny and trolling over her performance, which included moves likened to a kangaroo and sliding on the floor. After being eliminated in the round-robin stage, her routine became the focus of online ridicule. In response to the ongoing criticism, Gunn recently addressed her critics on social media, urging an end to the harassment. Breaking made its Olympic debut in Paris, intended to attract a younger audience, but Gunn's performance drew negative attention.
In an Instagram video, 36-year-old Gunn thanked her supporters for their positivity and expressed her regret that her performance also attracted significant hate. She emphasised that, despite the criticism, she took her Olympic preparation seriously and gave her best. Gunn expressed pride in being part of the Australian Olympic team and the debut of breaking as an Olympic sport, acknowledging the achievements of her fellow athletes.
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"Hi everyone, Raygun here. I just want to start by thanking all the people who have supported me, I really appreciate the positivity and I'm glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives, that's what I hoped," Gunn said in the video.
"I didn't realise that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating. While 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. I'm honoured to have been a part of the Australian Olympic team and to be part of breaking's Olympic debut. What the other athletes have achieved has just been phenomenal," she added.
Watch Gunn's Instagram Video Below:
Gunn Addresses Critics Questioning Her Selection
Amidst the trolling, an online petition emerged, calling for an investigation into Gunn's selection. In response, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) condemned the petition, stating that it was based on falsehoods intended to incite hatred against her.
Addressing critics of her selection for the Olympics, Gunn pointed them to recent statements from the AOC and also shared that breaking has no scoring points and encouraged viewers to check comparison percentages of her performance against opponents on Olympics.com.
"I'd like to ask everyone to please refer to the recent statement made by the AOC, as well as the posts on the Ausbreaking Instagram page, as well as the WDSF Breaking for Gold page," Gunn said.
"Bit of a fun fact for you, there are actually no points in breaking. If you want to see how the judges thought I compared to my opponents, you can actually see the comparison percentages across the five criteria on Olympics.com."
Here's a viral clip of Rachael Gunn's performance in Olympics 2024: