B-Girl Raygun of Team Australia competing. (Elsa/Getty Images)
Australian Olympic breakdancer Rachael Gunn, better known as Raygun, has responded to what she has called the “devastating” hate she’s faced since competing at Paris 2024.
Raygun was subjected to taunts after failing to earn a single point for her performance in the round-robin stage of the B-girls breaking event. She became the subject of memes that criticised her unique moves, including a kangaroo hop, but video of her routine has gone viral.
In response, she has taken to social media. Captioning a video “thank you to my supporters, absolute legends”, she said: “I’m glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives, that’s what I had hoped. I didn’t realise that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has been pretty devastating.
“When I went out there, I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all. I am honoured to have been a part of the Australian Olympic team and to be part of breaking’s Olympic debut.”
She went on to praise her fellow competitors before addressing allegations and “misinformation” surrounding her selection, suggesting that people refer to information that is readily available.
Australian Olympic Committee chief executive Matt Carroll has described a petition calling on Raygun to apologise for entering the Olympics as “vexatious, misleading and bullying,” adding that it had “stirred up public hatred without any factual basis,” the BBC reported.
Raygun concluded the video by calling on the press to stop “harassing” her family, friends, the Australian breaking community and broader breaking community, while she is in Europe over the next few weeks.
“Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this, so I ask you to please respect their privacy. I’ll be happy to answer more questions on my return to Australia,” she said.
Despite breaking making its Olympic debut in Paris, with Japan’s Ami Yuasa winning gold in the B-girls event, it will not return for the Games in Los Angeles in four years’ time.
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful