The Australian breaker Rachael Gunn, who faced extensive criticism following her performance at the recent Olympic Games, described the backlash as “devastating.” The 36-year-old, better known by her stage name Raygun, emphasized that she took the competition seriously and gave her best effort.
In a video posted on Instagram, Gunn expressed that she was unprepared for the negative attention she would receive after being awarded zero points by the judges during her Olympic debut. “I didn’t realize it would also open the door to so much hate, which has been quite devastating,” she said. “But I went out and had fun. I took it very seriously. I worked hard to prepare for the Olympics, and I really gave it my all.”
Breaking, a style of street dance, made its Olympic debut in Paris, and one of the most viral moments from the Games was Gunn’s performance, which included a “kangaroo dance” among other dance moves. However, her performance was poorly received, as she received no points from any of the nine judges in any of the rounds.
Following the event, Gunn became the subject of ridicule, including a parody on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in the United States. In her video, she mentioned that she faced attacks that went beyond criticism of her dance moves. “I really want to ask the media to stop harassing my family, my friends, the Australian breaking community, and the broader street dance community,” she said. “Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this. So I kindly ask you to please respect their privacy.”
Earlier in the day, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) condemned an online petition that called for an investigation into Gunn’s selection for the Paris Olympics. The petition was criticized for containing falsehoods intended to incite hate against her. Matt Carroll, the AOC’s CEO, stated that the petition had “generated public hate without any actual basis” and was regarded as “nuisance, misleading, and bullying.”
Carroll’s statement also emphasized that Gunn was selected through a transparent and independent qualification event and nomination process. The original change.org petition that urged Gunn to apologize was no longer available after the AOC requested its removal.
Breaking is not included in the sports program for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Gunn has announced that she will take a vacation in Europe for a few weeks, during which she will address any further questions upon her return to Australia.