Raygun breakdancing controversy explained: Why Australia's Rachael Gunn received so much criticism for her performance at Paris Olympics

After breaking, also known as break dancing, made its debut at the Paris Olympics 2024, Australian competitor Rachael Gunn, aka Raygun, came under the radar for her performance on the global stage. Gunn lost all three round-robin battles during the French quadrennial event, and fans raised eyebrows regarding her selection.

On Friday, August 9, Gunn faced Logan Edra of the United States for the first battle during the preliminary phase, where she lost with a score of 2 (18)-0. It was followed by two more losses against Sya Dembele of France and Dominika Banevič of Lithuania with the same scoreline. Failing to earn any votes from the judges, Gunn ended the round-robin stage with an overall score of 0-54. Her performances became the subject of social media memes and online criticism.

Later, a petition was also filed on change.org that demanded an investigation into her selection and an apology from the athlete, which got 54,000 signatures. However, the petition was condemned by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC), and they asserted that Rachael Gunn's selection was both fair and transparent.

Addressing the petition, Matt Carroll, the chief executive of the AOC, stated (as quoted by the Business Standard):

"It is disgraceful that these falsehoods concocted by an anonymous person can be published in this way. It amounts to bullying and harassment and is defamatory. We are demanding that it be removed from the [change.org] site immediately."

He added:

"No athlete who has represented their country at the Olympic Games should be treated in this way."

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Rachael Gunn on her Paris Olympics performance and the online backlash that followed

Rachael Gunn was devastated by the hatred she faced following her performance at the Paris Olympics 2024. Despite the negativity, she said that she was overjoyed to be able to represent her country and be a part of breaking's debut at the Summer Games.

"I went out there and I had fun - I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all. Truly. And I’m honoured to have been a part of the Australian Olympic team; to be a part of breaking’s Olympic debut," she said (via the BBC)

Expressing her dismay over the criticism, Gunn said:

"I'd really like to ask the press to please stop harassing my family, my friends, the Australian breaking community and the broader street dance community."

Rachael Gunn added that everyone has been through a lot lately due to the controversy and urged people to respect their privacy.