‘Aussie breaker Raygun defends Olympic display’

Australian breaker Rachel “Raygun” Gunn quickly became one of the most talked about Olympians at the Paris Games following her performance. In her first interview since the Olympics, Gunn revealed that much of the harsh criticism of her skills stemmed from a lack of understanding of the sport.

Speaking on “The Project,” a show on Australia’s Channel 10, Gunn expressed her dismay at the negative backlash she received: “The energy and vitriol that people had was pretty alarming. It was really sad how much hate it evoked, but a lot of the responses were simply due to people not being familiar with breaking and the diverse approaches within the sport.”

At the Paris Games, Gunn, 37, did not win any of her three round-robin battles, with a combined score of 54-0. Breaking made its Olympic debut at these games, and Gunn’s performance sparked a wave of memes and internet chatter, especially regarding her kangaroo dance moves.

Upon returning home, Gunn faced criticism from the Australian media and fellow breakers. Reflecting on the backlash, Gunn expressed remorse for the negative impact on the community but emphasized the need for more resources in Australia to produce world champions. She also acknowledged that past Australian teams have not had the best track record at world championships.

Following her Olympic performance, an AOC media liaison warned Gunn about the online criticism, prompting her to take a social media break. The intense scrutiny and criticism from the Australian media made Gunn uncomfortable in public.

Rumors began circulating about how Gunn qualified for the Olympics, leading to a Change.org petition alleging manipulation of the qualification process. AOC chief executive Matt Carroll denounced the petition as “disgraceful” and based on misinformation and opinions.

Gunn secured her spot in the Paris Games by winning the QMS Oceania Championships in Sydney, an automatic qualifying competition. Despite knowing the odds were against her, Gunn wanted to showcase Australian moves and themes, such as the boxing kangaroo mascot.

Looking ahead, Gunn plans to take a break from competing to avoid the spotlight and focus on the positive responses to her Olympic performance: “It has been amazing to see the positive response. I never expected to connect with so many people in such a positive way.”