Australian b-girl Rachel “Raygun” Gunn gave her first interview since her controversial performance in breakdancing’s Olympic debut went viral on social media last month, leaving many viewers wondering exactly how the 36-year-old university professor qualified for the Summer Games.
Speaking to Australia’s Network 10, Gunn called the aftermath of the Paris Games “tough.” While she couldn’t anticipate the reaction to her performance and the global response it would garner, Gunn admitted that going into the competition she knew she was overmatched.
“I knew my chances were slim,” she said. “As soon as I qualified, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, what have I done?’ because I knew that I was going to get beaten, and I knew people weren’t going to understand my style and what I was going to do.”
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Gunn is a university lecturer at Macquarie University with a Ph.D. in cultural studies. “Dance” is listed as one of her research interests. Gunn qualified for the Paris Olympics after winning the QMS Oceania Championships in Sydney, Australia and was named the top-ranked b-girl by the Australian Breaking Association in 2020 and 2021.
She became an instant viral sensation after a creative performance that included a “kangaroo dance.”
“I wanted to bring out some Australian moves and themes. … That’s the wonderful thing about breaking. You can take inspiration from any source. I had to go with what I was good at. I had to go with my strengths.”
Gunn said much of the criticism came from those who didn’t understand the different styles of breaking. She expected that much but didn’t anticipate the amount of vitriol she received
“There’s been a portion of very angry and, you know, awful responses, not only attacking me but attacking my husband, attacking my crew, attacking the breaking and street dance community in Australia, my family,” she added.
Gunn was swept in all of her battles without ever earning a single point in the round-robin stage.
“I haven’t watched it back, no,” Gunn said of her Olympic performance.
It’s not likely the world will get to see her again on the Olympic stage in the near future. Breaking is not on the program for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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