Rachael “Raygun” Gunn, the Australian breaker who quickly gained attention after her performance at the Paris Olympics, has defended her breakdancing skills and suggested that much of the criticism she faced was due to a lack of understanding of the sport. As breaking made its Olympic debut at the Place de la Concorde, Gunn competed in the round-robin battles but lost all three of her matches by a combined score of 54-0, drawing a wave of online mockery and media scrutiny.
Gunn, who is also a university lecturer, was ridiculed for everything from her breaking moves to her official green team uniform, a backlash she described as “alarming.” Despite knowing the odds were stacked against her, the 37-year-old stood by her position as the top female breaker in Australia.
“I think my record speaks for itself,” Gunn said in her first interview since the Olympics, speaking to Australia’s Channel 10. “I was the top-ranked Australian B-girl in 2020, 2022, and 2023. The record is there, but anything can happen in a battle.”
While she received support from many, Gunn admitted it was disheartening to hear criticism, especially from within the Australian breaking community. “I am very sorry for the backlash that the community has experienced, but I can’t control how people react,” she said. Gunn added that Australia’s limited resources for breakers made it difficult to compete on the world stage. “In the last year, I’ve trained my hardest. I’ve pushed my body and my mind to the limit. But if that’s not enough for someone, what more can I do?”
Gunn attributed much of the criticism to a lack of understanding of the diverse styles within breaking. “A lot of the responses came from people not being familiar with breaking and the different approaches within it,” she explained. “It was really sad how much hate it evoked. The energy and vitriol people had was pretty alarming.”
The backlash reached its peak when an online petition accusing Gunn of manipulating the Olympic qualification process gained 50,000 signatures before being taken down by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC). The petition claimed Gunn had unfairly earned her spot at the Games, further fueling conspiracy theories.
“The conspiracy theories were awful,” Gunn said. “It wasn’t just people who didn’t understand breaking criticizing my performance. It was people attacking our integrity and reputation without any factual basis. Even after the truth came out, some people refused to believe it.”
AOC chief executive Matt Carroll addressed the issue, stating that the petition had “stirred up public hatred without any factual basis” and described it as “vexatious, misleading, and bullying.” Carroll also emphasized that Gunn had been selected through a “transparent and independent qualification event and nomination process.”
Looking ahead, Gunn admitted she was unlikely to compete again anytime soon but remained optimistic about the future.
Despite the negativity, she chose to focus on the positives. “I’ll survive, I’m all right,” she concluded. “I’d rather focus on the positive responses and the joy I brought to people through this experience.”
