Breakdancer Raygun responds to ‘devastating’ backlash over Olympics performance
Rachael “Raygun” Gunn didn’t realize her now-viral performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics would “open the door to so much hate.”
The 36-year-old B-girl addressed the backlash to her routine for the first time on Instagram Thursday, thanking those who supported her and condemning those who didn’t.
“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,” she began the video.
However, Gunn never expected to receive such an influx of hostility from fans who didn’t like her performance.
“I didn’t realize that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating,” she continued.
During her first three matches, Gunn failed to receive a single point from judges, leading many to question why she was selected to represent her home country of Australia in the first place.
A petition arguing the validity and ethics of her selection garnered over 50,000 signatures before being taken down. The strongly worded petition, which has been condemned by the Australian Olympic Committee, called for Gunn and the AOC to issue “a global public apology.”
“While I went out there and I had fun, I did take it very seriously,” Gunn assured her followers. “I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all, truly.”
Although Gunn was “honored” to have been part of breaking’s Olympic debut, she encouraged her followers to do their research before believing all the “allegations and misinformation floating around.”
Gunn, who is currently in Europe for some “pre-planned downtime,” also asked the media and fans to “stop harassing” those close to her.
“Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this so I ask you to please respect their privacy,” she concluded. “I’ll be happy to answer more questions on my return to Australia.”
Gunn became a viral sensation after showcasing her unique and creative moves, such as a kangaroo hop, during the first day of competition.
While many people — including Jimmy Fallon — had fun with the routine, others claimed she was the reason that breaking was nixed from the 2028 Olympics.
However, amid the negative response, one of the judges spoke out in defense of Gunn.
“Breaking is all about originality and bringing something new to the table and representing your country or region,” chief breaking judge Martin Gilian, also known as MGbility, said, per CNN.
“This is exactly what Raygun was doing, she got inspired by her surroundings, which in this case, for example, was a kangaroo.”
Although Gunn’s original moves may have been “funny or entertaining for others,” Gilian said she “represented breaking and hip hop” for the B-girl community.
“She was trying to be original and bring something new to the table. From our perspective, that was nothing really shocking.”
