Rachael Gunn, known as B-Girl Raygun, garnered attention on social media during the 2024 Paris Olympics with her unconventional performance in the women’s breakdancing competition. A 36-year-old lecturer in cultural studies at Macquarie University in Sydney, Gunn stood out not only for her clothing, which was in stark contrast to the typical hip-hop fashion of her competitors, but also for her unique, unconventional moves.
“I didn’t get the memo,” Gunn told Yahoo Sports, “that we weren’t going to represent our country’s colors. What’s going on?”
Unlike her peers, who performed acrobatic power moves, Gunn’s routine included less typical elements such as the crab walk and chin fidgeting, which she incorporated into her performance.
Gunn entered the competition knowing she might not be one of the favorites, but her expectations were met when she lost all three of her round robin matches 18-0 and did not receive a single vote from the judges.
“Look, I went into the event expecting that I wasn’t going to get a vote,” she told Yahoo Sports. “My style isn’t really suited to these events. You see the dynamics and a lot of really fast footwork and power moves and freezes and stuff like that.”
One particular move, which involved her hopping like a kangaroo, became the target of trolls who shared clips and memes making fun of her performance.
“There were definitely mistakes made guys, but the biggest mistake was communication from RayGunn’s family and friends. It’s rare but not telling someone they can’t dance can have worldwide repercussions,” said one user on “X.”
“I could live my whole life and I would never come up with anything as funny as Raygun, the 36-year-old Australian Olympic breakdancer,” added another “X” user. “Olympic breakdancing… come on, it’s not a sport, it’s nothing more than turbo penetration.”
“Incredible respect, got an all expenses paid trip to Paris, all free equipment and is an Olympian forever. I’m afraid she really went all out here,” posted one “X” user.
Breakdancing at the Olympics. I always like to give new sports a chance so I can confirm it is an ABNORMALITY. The lowest hurdle ever cleared for an Olympic medal. The kind of thing you see outside Irish pubs at closing time,” said another “X” user.
Gunn responded to the online trolling by posting a quote on her Instagram: “Don’t be afraid to be different, go out and represent yourself, you never know where it will take you.”
“We’re inspiring a whole new generation of people to start breakdancing. It’s so exciting for us and we just want to share this culture, this dance and this sport,” she told CNBC before her performance.
