Breakdancers Defend Controversial Australian Olympian Raygun

After going viral online for her unorthodox moves, Australian b-girl Rachael Gunn, also known as Raygun, has been criticized for her performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

While most breakers went for complex and athletic moves, Raygun opted for a “Kangaroo Dance,” a simpler move that invited criticism from people online.

Raygun, who lectures on gender politics and dance at Macquarie University in Sydney, explained in an interview with The Guardian that her main goal is originality.

“What I wanted to do was come out here and do something new and different and creative – that’s my strength, my creativity,” Raygun said. “I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best, the dynamic and the power moves, so I wanted to move differently, be artistic and creative because how many chances do you get that in a lifetime to do that on an international stage.”

“I was always the underdog and wanted to make my mark in a different way.”

Unfortunately, Gunn left the competition after being rewarded zero points by the judges.

“All my moves are original,” Gunn explained. “Creativity is really important to me. I go out there and I show my artistry. Sometimes it speaks to the judges, and sometimes it doesn’t. I do my thing, and it represents art. That is what it is about.”

While she didn’t earn any points, head judge Martin Gilian, who goes by MGbility, stands by her performance in Paris.

“Breaking is all about originality and bringing something new to the table and representing your country or region,” MGbility said in a press conference. “This is exactly what Raygun was doing. She got inspired by her surroundings, which in this case, for example, was a kangaroo.”

He further elaborated that the breaking community was behind her.

“We have five criteria in the competitive judging system (Technique, Vocabulary, Execution, Musicality, Originality) and just her level was maybe not as high as the other competitors,” MGbility said. “But again, that doesn’t mean that she did really bad. She did her best. She won the Oceania qualifier. … Unfortunately for her, the other b-girls were better.”

General secretary of the World DanceSport Federation Sergey Nifontov has been communicating with Raygun and Australian Olympic team officials, offering her mental health services.

“We offered (the) support of our safe-guarding officer,” Nifontov said. “We are aware about what has happened, especially on social media, and definitely we should put the safety of the athlete, in this case, mental safety in first place. She has us as a federation supporting her.”

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