Australian breakdancer Rachael “Raygun” Gunn defended her polarizing performance at the Paris Olympics last month, denying that she somehow rigged her qualification for the Games.
The 37-year-old breakdance professor spoke about backlash and global derision in an interview that aired Wednesday on Australia’s “The Project,” during which she stood by her competitive efforts that many called “crawling.”
“It was really sad how much hate it caused,” said Gunn – who was named Australia’s “top-ranked” breaker last year, as well as 2020 and 2022 – adding that while she is “very sorry for the backlash the community has experienced” , she “can’t control how people react.”
Gunn, whose viral performance included mimicking kangaroo hopsattributed “many of the responses … to people not being very familiar with mining and the variety of methods of mining.”
“The energy and vitriol that people had was quite alarming,” she said. “I wanted to bring out some Australian movements and themes. … That’s the wonderful thing about mining. You can draw inspiration from any source.”
Although she earned 0 points in her three Paris events, Gunn said her “record speaks for” whether she is indeed Australia’s best breaker. She also denied conspiracy theories that she manipulated the selection process to qualify for the Games.
Gunn noted that she has largely avoided social media since and quickly sought mental health support amid the “ups and downs” after the Games, expressing her gratitude for the “amazing” positive responses she has also received.