Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn has caused a stir on social media after her performance at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Breaking, better known as breakdancing, made its debut as an Olympic sport on Friday. The competition consists of two gender-related events, with 16 B-boys and 16 B-girls competing for the gold.
Gunn – who competes under the name Raygun – went viral online after her performance Friday in the round-robin stage of the women’s breaking competition, where she was wiped out without earning a single point. The 36-year-old spawned dozens of memes and was criticized by viewers for her unconventional moves as she competed with American Logan Edra, Lithuanian Dominika Banevič and France’s Sya Dembélé.
“There were definitely mistakes made, folks, but the biggest one was the lack of communication [Raygun’s] family and friends,” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “It’s rare, but if you don’t tell someone he or she can’t dance, it can have global consequences.”
Another user on
Gunn, who has a doctorate in cultural studies, is a college professor at the university Macquarie University in Sydney. She was named the top-ranked B-girl by the Australia Breaking Association in 2020 and 2021 and won the Oceania Breaking Championships in 2023.
“It’s surprising that Australia’s Raygun is the best breaker,” said X user Bites Of Net. “The kangaroo movement – how did it get this far?!”
“All my moves are original,” Gunn told reporters after her performance (per ESPN). “Creativity is very important to me. I’m going to go there and show my artistry. Sometimes it appeals to the jury, and sometimes it doesn’t. I do my thing, and it represents art. That’s what it’s all about.”
Ultimately, Japan’s Ami Yuasa won the gold medal for the B-girls competition at the Paris Olympics, while Banevič scored silver and China’s Liu Qingyi bronze. The B-boys competition started on Saturday.
Check out more reactions to Gunn’s groundbreaking performance below: