Breaker Rachel ‘Raygun’ Gunn Addresses Backlash After Scoring Zero At Olympics – And Going Viral

In her first interview since her viral Olympic performance, Australian breakdancer Rachel “Raygun” Gunn opened up about the criticism she faced during and after the 2024 Summer Games. 

In an interview with Australia 10 News aired on Wednesday, Gunn stated, “It is really sad to hear those criticisms, and I am very sorry for the backlash that the community has experienced…But I can’t control how people react.”

The athlete, 37, became the center of controversy when she was eliminated in the round-robin stage. While in Paris, Gunn faced losses in all three of her competitions, accumulating a combined score of 54-0. This defeat led to online ridicule as people mocked Gunn and the sport. Gunn’s performance quickly gained traction online, prompting countless memes and skits that humorously imitated her dance style. The highlight of her routine, characterized by the unique maneuver where she kicked one leg while leaning back, became known as the “kangaroo.”

Gunn described the media frenzy after her Olympic debut as “overwhelming” and admitted it placed her in a state of anxiety. Since her viral performance, Gunn has yet to return to Australia as she navigates the media attention surrounding her Olympic experience. She said in the interview, “It was really sad how much hate that it did evoke…And a lot of the responses are also just due to people needing to become more familiar with breaking and the diversity of approaches to breaking. The energy and vitriol that people had was pretty alarming.”

In the interview, Gunn, who also teaches breakdancing at Macquarie University and examines the cultural dynamics of the art form, defended her selection for the Olympic team. “My record confirms my status,” she stated, highlighting her rankings as the top breaker in Australia for 2020, 2022 and 2023. “The numbers are there, but anything can happen in competition.”

Last month, a Change.org petition surfaced alleging that Gunn had manipulated the selection process to secure her Olympic spot. The petition garnered over 50,000 signatures but did not offer any evidence to support the claim, prompting the Australian Olympic Committee toit “vexatious, misleading, and bullying.”

In her interview, Gunn said, “It was distressing not just because of the criticism of my performance, but because it attacked our integrity and reputation without any factual basis. People are reluctant to accept the truth, but that seems to be our unfortunate reality.”

Despite the harsh criticism she faced, Gunn expressed gratitude for her Olympic experience in an Instagram post, stating that it was “an honor and a privilege” to compete among the top women in Breaking’s Olympic debut.

Gunn recently signed with a talent agency to cash in on her new-found fame.