- Raygun became an overnight sensation at the Olympic Games in Paris
- The Australian scored zero points out of a possible 54 in breaking
- Daily Mail Australia takes a look at her journey to the Olympic Games
As the curtain was brought down on an epic Olympic Games in Paris, one name remained on everybody's lips: Raygun.
The Australian breakdancer has taken the world by storm for all the wrong reasons after scoring zero points out of a possible 54 in the inaugural women's competition in Paris.
Raygun, whose real name is Rachael Gunn, has been ruthlessly mocked online following her bizarre performance in which it quickly became apparent her skill level was some way below that of her opponents.
The married 36-year-old university lecturer's selection as part of Australia's Olympic team has been the source of huge debate among Aussies in the wake of her pitiful performance, with some questioning her credentials as the nation's best female breakdancer.
Here, Daily Mail Australia takes a look at Raygun's journey to the Paris Games.
Daily Mail Australia takes a look at Raygun's journey to the Olympic Games in Paris
Raygun first starts 'breaking' - 2008
There is one man who can be credited for introducing the world to Raygun - her husband Samuel Free.
Gunn met her future husband while a student at university and it was Free who got the 36-year-old hooked on all things breaking.
'Not long after we started dating, he took me to Hornsby PCYC where he was training [in breaking] with the guys,' she told the Sydney Morning Herald.
'I thought it was pretty cool but not something I'd ever try. As a dancer, I'd spent years learning choreography; these guys were all doing their own thing, which was intimidating.
'He encouraged me to give it a go, but it was hard and overwhelming. A woman's body is different to a man's – we have hips – so when a crew mate would say, 'Just kick up,' I'd be like, 'That doesn't work for me.'
'But Sammy recognised that, which made me feel empowered.'
Gunn was introduced to the world of breaking by her husband Samuel Free when they first met as university students in 2008
A knee injury to Free ended his own breaking career, but he threw himself into coaching and is Gunn's main inspiration when she takes to the stage.
'It makes total sense – he's the one who got me into breaking,' she said of her decision to make Free her coach. 'Nobody knows me better. He's got my back and knows how much this means to me.'
Enrolls in breakdancing PHD - 2011
Fully immersed in all things breaking, Gunn decided to pursue the theory of breaking at university.
She signed up to study a PhD at university in 2011, revealing how it has allowed her to dig deeper into the sport beyond gnarly moves and tricks.
'I did my undergraduate degree in contemporary music and cultural studies and after my honours year I didn't know what to do. I worked as a receptionist for a while, but decided I loved studying and went back to do my PhD.
'Dance and music are big parts of my life and looking at the intersection of those appealed. There was some research on Australia's hip-hop culture in late '90s early 2000s, but I saw a gap I could address.
'Through my PhD, I became interested in how my embodied experience of breaking helped me understand and challenge some deeper assumptions about gender stereotypes,' she said.
Gunn now specialises as a lecturer in 'the cultural politics of breakdancing' at Sydney's Macquarie University, and says her students were fully aware of her trip to Paris.
'I have done lectures on breaking and spoken about the Olympics and some students have come up and asked for an autograph,' she revealed. 'Others have told me they'll be watching and cheering me on, which is really special.'
Breaking becomes an Olympic sport - 2020
Raygun continued to fine-tune her craft in the following years, entering competitions and earning a reputation as one of Australia's best female breakers.
Then, in 2020, came the news that she could help take the sport to a much bigger platform.
'The [Olympics] rumours began to swirl in 2016/17,' she said. 'The sport was a huge success when included in the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires in 2018.
'The Australian Federation was only set up in 2019, but it didn't automatically mean someone from Oceania would get to compete. I was training harder than ever and thinking, 'It's now or never. Go for it.''
Raygun's Olympics dream was born when it was added to the Paris Games program
Qualification process - 2021-2023
Facing an uphill battle to make it on the plane to the Olympic Games, Raygun trained hard to earn her spot at the inaugural breaking event in Paris.
Gunn travelled to Seoul, South Korea, to compete in the World Breaking Championships.
In a field of 114, Raygun secured her passage into the round of 32 by finishing 57th out of 64, before falling at the next hurdle.
But the Australian, at this point well into her thirties, fired a warning shot to her rivals after her strong performance.
'Even though I'm in my thirties, I'm not slowing down anytime soon,' she said.
She took that confidence-boosting performance into the WDSF Oceania Breaking Championships a year later, taking on another breaker called 'Molly' in a final that would determine whether the Olympic Games spot was hers.
With her full focus on the Olympics, Raygun trained hard under the watchful eye of Free
Raygun qualified for the Games after winning the WDSF Oceania Breaking Championships
She competed in Seoul and Sydney before securing her spot on the plane to Paris
On home soil at Sydney's Town Hall, Raygun triumphed. Dressed in a pair of baggy jeans and a burgundy jacket, she put her skills on display as she spun around and writhed on the ground.
The competition, which was open to the public to enter, featured a 10-judge panel of professional breakers including judges from South Korea and Japan.
Gunn was the highest-scoring woman on day one of the competition, before defeating three competitors on day two to qualify for the Olympics.
'I'm so lucky to have this opportunity honestly – lucky to be at this point in my career in breaking, lucky that we got an Oceania qualifier, lucky that it gets to be in Paris,' a grateful Raygun said.
That performance in Paris... and the aftermath - 2024
It all fell apart for Raygun at the Olympic Games, however, with the Australian significantly outclassed by her rivals.
The Australian's routine, which consisted of her hopping like a kangaroo and imitating a snake, failed to win over fans, with the likes of Adele among those who found the performance hilarious for all the wrong reasons.
'Did anyone see the breakdancing lady?' she asked her concert audience in Munich.
'Now I didn't even know breakdancing was an Olympic sport these days. That is f***ing fantastic. I really really do.
'Aaron my percussionist is p***ing himself laughing just thinking about it.'
Raygun made headlines all over the world for the wrong reasons in Paris
Raygun, a 36-year-old university lecturer, scored zero points in the inaugural competition
Adele went on to reveal she is unsure whether Raygun was a serious entrant into the competition, with many fans comparing her moves to that of Mr Gee from Aussie comedy Summer Heights High.
Raygun kept a low profile in the wake of her performance, with Australian Olympic officials saying they were closely monitoring her mental health.
But she appeared to be in good spirits on the eve of the closing ceremony, with video footage showing the 36-year-old being warmly embraced by her fellow Aussie Olympians.
Raygun was seen putting on a performance for her compatriots before she was lifted onto the shoulders of Aussie rower Angus Widdicombe, where she mimicked her infamous kangaroo dance move that sent fans across the world into hysterics.
A number of high-profile figures have come to Raygun's defence amid an onslaught of social media abuse, with the likes of Anthony Albanese crediting her for giving it her best go.
'Raygun had a crack, good on her, and a big shout out to her,' he told reporters in Adelaide on Sunday.
Adele stopped her concert in Munich to discuss Olympic star Raygun
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese staunchly defended Raygun
'That is in the Australian tradition of people having a go. She's had a go representing our country, and that's a good thing.
'Whether they've won gold medals or just done their best, that's all we asked for. It's the participating that is really important.'
Senator Jacqui Lambie said: 'To be honest with you we should be really proud of every single one of them that has been over there.
'I don't care if they're at the Olympics, good on them. Anybody that is out there in the sporting field, even if they're not going for medals, just get out there on the sporting field for your physical and psychological health.
'I think that's a great thing.'
Government minister Bill Shorten went one step further than Lambie, labelling Raygun a 'hero', while hitting back at the taxpayer assertion.
'I think she got one grant for around $20,000 and they helped with her air fares. She's a hero. I like her, she's brave, people should get behind her.'
What does the future hold for Raygun?
It may upset some fans to learn that Raygun will not be at the next Olympic Games in 2028, to be held in Los Angeles.
Breaking, which was introduced for the Paris Games this summer, is not going to be included in the program for the sporting bonanza in four years' time.
But the world is seemingly Raygun's oyster after her travails in Paris.
Gunn could still cash in on her newfound fame in several other areas, including on the Australian version of Dancing With The Stars.
Oddsmakers Crypto Sports Betting have priced her at 6/4 to feature on the next season of the popular entertainment show, while her chances of appearing as a contest on Australian reality series I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here are valued at 4/1.
Gunn is even being tipped to enjoy a cameo role on the big or small screen, with the breakdancer priced at 7/1 to land an acting job on the back of her Olympics performance.
Other possibilities include getting her own reality TV show (9/1), appearing on a music video (12/1) and, more unconvincingly, making it onto the Australian team for the 2028 Olympics (33/1).
Surely we have not seen the last of Raygun.
