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SNL star Chloe Fineman's imitation of viral Olympic breakdancer Rachel Gunn, a.k.a. Raygun, left the internet giggling in stitches. On Sunday, August 11, 2024, the 36-year-old comedian took to her social media to share a hilarious parody routine inspired by the Australian.
For the uninitiated, Friday saw the inaugural-breaking competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics. For the women's bout, 32 B-girls faced off, but the 36-year-old Australian professor's unconventional moves went viral despite her earning no points.
Chloe shared her clip with the caption:
"Hi. I’m Raygun. I’m from Australia. And this is me practicing for the Olympics."
Fineman's parody routine was met with praise, with one saying:
Many joked that Fineman was ready for a gold medal at the next Olympics. Here are some comments seen under @chloeiscrazy's post on Instagram:
Some remarked that Chloe's breakdancing should become a recurring character on SNL.
"That’s my strength, my creativity"— Raygun about her Olympic performance
Following her performance, Rachel Gunn took to her Instagram to encourage people to not be afraid.
"“Don’t be afraid to be different, go out there and represent yourself, you never know where that’s gonna take you.” @raygun_aus #breaking #olympics #wdsf #bboy #bgirl #breakingforgold #paris2024 #paris," she wrote.
Chloe Fineman, in a similar post shared on TikTok, wrote:
"All hail RAYGUN. Girl hopped like a kangeroo and ate??? #raygun #olympics #australia #raygunolympics."
Per Entertainment Weekly, Rachel Gunn is a former ballroom dancer turned professor at Macquarie University in Sydney. She hails from Hornsby, New South Wales, and is currently working with the department of media, communications, and creative arts. At 36, she boasts a PhD in cultural studies.
Donning her country's green and yellow-hued jersey, Gunn's Olympic routine included doing the kangaroo hops and the sprinkler. Elaborating on her performance, Rachel said she knew she couldn't compete with others athletically or perform the "power moves," so she tried to be more creative.
"I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best — their power moves. What I bring is creativity," Gunn told AP News.
She told Yahoo Sports outside the venue at La Concorde that she was happy to be among the contestants.
"It was amazing. Such an amazing experience... What a stage, what an arena, what a crowd. Music was great. Like, oh, so, so grateful for the opportunity," she raved about her experience.
Gunn lost all of her three round-robin battles (18-0) on Friday.
Japan's Ami Yuasa walked away with the gold, while Lithuania’s Dominika Banevič and China’s Liu Qingyi took the silver and bronze, respectively. Additionally, 21-year-old Manizha Talash was disqualified after she wore a cape reading, "Free Afghan Women."
Per the International Olympic Committee (IOC), displaying political messages is strictly prohibited at the competition. Talash fled Afghanistan after the Taliban took control of the country in 2021 and was granted asylum in Spain. She was representing the refugee team at the Paris Olympics.
