Australian Olympic breakdancer Raygun calls viral response ‘pretty devastating’

Australia’s viral Olympic breakdancer Rachael “Raygun” Gunn has finally made a public statement about her internationally maligned performance at the Paris games, and it seems she’s standing by her efforts. The Games may be over, but the drama continues.

In a video posted to Instagram on Thursday, Raygun stated that she was unprepared for the backlash she’d received, and that she’d hoped to “bring some joy into [people’s] lives.”

“I didn’t realise that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating,” Raygun said. “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.”

Raygun also addressed the “allegations and misinformation floating around.” The Australian Olympian’s breakdancing display sparked numerous theories regarding exactly how she managed to get on the Olympic team in the first place, with people on social media speculating that she gained her place through less than honest means.

In response, Raygun asked people to refer to statements made by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC), AUSBreaking, and the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF). She also mentioned that there are no points in breaking, making an apparent effort to debunk misinformation regarding her performance.

“If you wanna see how the judges thought I compared to my opponents, you can actually see the comparison percentages across the five criteria on Olympics.com,” said Raygun.

Raygun doing a move remnicent of a kangaroo while competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Credit: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images

While it is true that the Olympic breaking judges didn’t award “points” to dancers, further clarification doesn’t do Raygun many favours. Olympic breakers competed in one-on-one battles consisting of up to three rounds, with each dancer getting one minute to perform per round. A panel of nine judges would score each round based on the dancers’ technique, vocabulary, execution, musicality, and originality, then each vote for a winner.

However, Raygun didn’t just lose three rounds. Her infamous 0-3 score is the result of her losing all six rounds in all three battles she danced in, failing to come out on top against the United States’ Logistx, France’s Syssy, and Lithuania’s Nicka. None of her battles went to three rounds. 

The 2024 Olympic gold medal for women’s breaking eventually went to Japan’s Ami Yuasa, with Lithuania’s Dominika Banevič taking silver and China’s Liu Qingyi winning bronze. 

Raygun ended her video by requesting that the media leave her, her family and friends, and the breakdancing community alone. She stated she would be happy to answer more questions once she returns to Australia from a pre-planned break in Europe.

The Australian Olympic Committee voices support for Raygun

Raygun competing in the finals of the Oceania Breaking Championship in Sydney on Oct. 28, 2023.
Credit: Mark Kolbe / Getty Images

According to the AOC statement Raygun referred to, the WDSF determined the system and selected the judges for the 2023 Oceania Breaking Championship, which was Australia’s Olympic qualifying event. The competition was then conducted by AUSBreaking under WDSF and DanceSport Australia’s authorisation, with Raygun winning the event and thus DanceSport Australia’s nomination to the country’s Olympic team.

“Dr Rachael Gunn holds no position with AUSBreaking or DanceSport Australia in any capacity,” wrote the AOC. “She is simply an athlete who competed in the qualifying event which she won. There were no appeals from any athlete. Dr Gunn has no responsibility for any funding decisions in her sport. [Raygun’s husband] Mr Samuel Free is a coach who holds no position with AUSBreaking or DanceSport Australia in any capacity and was not a judge at the qualifying event.”

As such, the AOC condemned an anonymous Change.org petition which had been calling for “immediate accountability and transparency” regarding Raygun’s alleged involvement in the selection process for the Paris Olympics. Created over the weekend, the petition received over 38,000 signatures before Change.org took it down, the platform reportedly stating that it had been flagged for misinformation.

AOC’s stance was backed up by AUSBreaking, which expressed its support for Raygun over several Instagram posts. Decrying the “global online harassment” Raygun has received, AUSBreaking refuted the rumour that either she or Free were involved in the Olympic selection process.

“Bgirl Raygun has been accused of setting up her own governing body for Breaking and then using her position to manipulate the selection process to her own advantage,” wrote AUSBreaking. “While AUSBreaking has had many interactions and points of contact with Raygun, at no point was she the founder, an executive, committee member or in any position of leadership. She was not involved in any decision-making over events, funding, strategy, judge selection or athlete selection.”

The WDSF hasn’t made any recent statements directly addressing Raygun’s situation. However, the organisation did appear to allude to it in an Instagram post uploaded over the weekend, stating that the WDSF “stands firmly against any form of harassment or abuse, which includes cyberbullying.”

“Our athletes deserve respect and support as they pursue their dreams,” wrote WDSF. “Let’s treat every athlete with respect, and create a supportive environment for everyone.”

Australian Olympic breakdancer Raygun continues to disappoint audience 

Raygun competing against Syssy of Team France during the Paris Olympics.
Credit: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images

Comments on Raygun’s Instagram Reel have been overwhelmingly unsympathetic. Many view Raygun as attempting to paint herself as a victim, rather than owning up to her lacklustre performance.

“You trained for that performance?” wrote mrealtor.

“Honest criticism is not hate,” said attytjj. “Attacking honest feedback as hate is gaslighting and an attempt to demean those who give honest feedback and criticism with name calling and accusations.”

Some commenters also took note of Raygun’s academic background. Raygun works as a lecturer at Australia’s Macquarie University and has a PHD in breakdancing and dance culture. To many, these intellectually-focused qualifications are anathema to the breakdancing subculture and spirit, which originated from disenfranchised Black and Puerto Rican in the Bronx during the ’70s.

“What bothers me is that there was probably a young person, perhaps from a lower socio economic background who could not only dance better but whose life would have been transformed by the opportunity to compete at the Olympics,” divine_awen posted. “Instead of taking the opportunity herself she could have supported them to do so.”

“Playing the victim card…… just apologize on how bad you were and prob gain more respect..” said nekovujevic.

Breaking will not be returning for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the organisers having opted to drop it long before Raygun came to international attention. Perhaps it’s for the greatest.