After its debut in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, breaking won't feature in the next Olympics, in Los Angeles 2028 despite gaining popularity at the Paris Games. And, many people are not over the event yet. The internet is going crazy after Rachael Gunn’s, aka Raygun's, surprising performance in the event to represent her country - Australia.
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Many believe the Australian breakdancer singlehandedly killed the sport. Despite her 'genuine' efforts, she scored zero points and sparked a huge debate online. However, the head judge, Martin Gilian, said she was original and her level was not as high as other B-girls.
What Really Happened at the Breaking Event?
Her performance at the Paris Summer Games attracted a lot of attention from the audience, making her viral on social media. Raygun introduced an Australian-inspired “kangaroo style” in her breaking routine. Even with her efforts and creativity, she scored zero points in the competition. While some people were impressed by her creativity on stage, others criticized the athlete for not being as competitive as the rest.
Why Did Raygun Score Zero in Her Performance?
Breaking head judge, Martin Gilian said Raygun’s zero scores was not a sign of terrible performance. He also said that the judges consider five things when making a decision and Raygun’s level was low compared to other competitors. Considering that she won the Oceania qualifier, that shows she is not that bad.
Breaking is all about originality and bringing something new to the table and representing your country or region. This is exactly what Raygun was doing. She got inspired by her surroundings, which in this case, for example, was a kangaroo.
What Does Raygun Have to Say?
According to the athlete, she was proud of her performance at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Even though she scored zero, her emphasis is on originality and creativity. She acknowledged she was competing against pro breakers but she aimed to express her creativity.
All of my moves are original. Creativity is really important to me. I go out there, and I show my artistry. Sometimes it speaks to the judges, and sometimes it doesn't. I do my thing, and it represents art. That is what it is about.
The Australian breakdancer also proudly said she had achieved what she had planned to do at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Some Olympians spend their entire lives training to make history, to carve out a name for themselves. I trained for exactly 37 minutes, and now I'm the most famous break dancer in the world. My sick moves shut down an entire event. How many Olympians can say that?
Background Story on Rachel Gunn
Raygun, whose real name is Rachael Gunn is a 36-yeal-old college professor in Australia. Rachael is a former ballroom and jazz dancer who ventured into breakdancing in her mid-20s through her husband, who has been a breakdancer for a decade. In 2020 and 2021, Raygun became the top-ranked b-girl in her country. During the QMS Oceania Championship held in Sydney in 2023, Raygun secured the first-ever spot for Australia in the b-girl competition at the Olympics.
According to her university biography, Rachel Gunn has a Ph.D. in cultural studies. She is a lecturer and researcher at Macquarie University in Sydney, studying “the cultural politics of breaking”.
