Now that the 2024 Olympics have come to a close, it's easy to look back and point to some of the most memorable moments from the Games. That includes the Olympic breaking competition, where an Australian dancer named Raygun dominated the online conversation. Her unique moves put her at the center of the conversation — and not always in a positive way. But now, Raygun is responding to some of the more critical comments that have been shared online about her and her moves.
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Raygun's performance has been everywhere online.
If you've spent any time on TikTok, Facebook, or X (formerly Twitter) in recent days, you've probably caught at least a short clip of 36-year-old Raygun (real name: Rachael Gunn), an Australian breakdancer whose moves left audiences with more questions than answers.
She lost all three of her Olympic dance battle match ups.
The reception hasn't exactly been kind online.
People aren't holding back when it comes to their opinions of Raygun's performance. Some people are taken aback by the whole thing and have no idea what to think, and others are convinced she's just trolling.
One person tweeted, "Looks like what my 2 yr old does when she doesn't want to get off the floor."
Now, Raygun is speaking out.
While talking to reporters at the Olympics, Raygun said (via ESPN), "I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best — their power moves. What I bring is creativity."
She later added, "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."
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The Australian Chef de Mission is speaking out in Raygun's defense.
Anna Meares called out Raygun's critics as well.
"In 2008, she was locked in a room crying being involved in a male-dominated sport as the only woman, and it took great courage for her to continue on and fight for her opportunity to participate in a sport that she loved," Anna said. "That got her to winning the Olympic qualifying event to be here in Paris. She is the best breakdancer female that we have for Australia."
Chief breaking judge Martin Gilian praised Raygun's originality.
"This is exactly what Raygun was doing, she got inspired by her surroundings, which in this case, for example, was a kangaroo," he told CNN. "She created some original moves which could be maybe funny or entertaining for others, but for us, she basically represented breaking and hip-hop. She was trying to be original and bring something new to the table. From our perspective, that was nothing really shocking."
