IIt’s no easy task for an athlete to stand out in the multitude of events at the Paris Olympic Games, but one breaker from Australia may have the edge in the sport’s Olympic debut.
Rachael Gunn, 36, also known as “Raygun,” went viral on Friday after a series of clips of her showing off her interesting moves prompted viewers to flock to social media to share their thoughts and funny memes.
Some viewers asked how she made it to the Olympic stage. “It’s surprising that Raygun from Australia is the best breaker you have,” wrote one user on X. “How did she make it this far?!” Others couldn’t help but express their amazement at her acrobatic moves and footwork. “Insane respect, got an all expenses paid trip to Paris, all equipment for free and is an Olympian forever. I’m afraid she really put her foot down here,” said another.
Gunn was ranked as Australia’s best B-girl (the slang term for a breaker) in 2020 and 2021, but did not make the list in 2024. She won the Oceania Breaking Championships in 2023. While some moves require special technique, judges also consider individuality and style when making their scores. Gunn lost all three matches against her opponents and did not advance in the Games. Gunn scored 0 points, meaning no judges felt she performed better than her competitor.
Read more: A comprehensive guide to breaking, the newest sport at the Olympics
The athlete wore a dark green and gold tracksuit – the national colors of Australia – and a matching cap for her Olympic appearance, while her competitors wore more casual street clothes. In several videos, Gunn could be seen moving her hands in circular motions and dragging herself along the ground, which some compared to toddlers. Many pointed out Gunn’s “kangaroo move,” in which she hops from side to side with her wrists near her stomach, which appears to be an imitation of Australia’s national animal.
“There hasn’t been such a dominant Olympic performance since Usain Bolt’s 100m sprint in Beijing 2008. Honestly, the moment Raygun executed her kangaroo move, this competition was over! Give her the #breakdancing gold,” one user sarcastically wrote on X.
On Friday, the women competed in the competition, which featured one-on-one battles between dancers in their group. (The men compete on Saturday.) The top two breakers in each group then advance. According to the Olympics, there are a number of moves that the players can perform, including windmills, freezes and the six-step. Fifteen countries are competing in breaking.
Breakdancing originated in the Bronx, New York, in the 1970s and has its roots in hip-hop culture. International competitions in breakdancing – the sport’s official name, although the term break dancing is more familiar – began in the 1990s. After breakdancing was included in the Youth Olympic Games in 2018, the IOC decided it would make its wider Olympic debut in 2024.
Gunn holds a PhD in Cultural Studies from Macquarie University in Sydney. She researches the “cultural politics of breaking,” as the university’s website puts it, and even led a study on how Australian breakers reacted to breaking being included in the Olympics.
“It is a great honor and privilege to be one of sixteen women from around the world competing in their breakdancing debut at the Olympics,” Gunn said in an Instagram post on Thursday. “I hope that breakdancing at the Olympics inspires a whole new generation of breakdancers.”
