Australian breakdancer ‘Raygun’ fires back at trolls in social media post

Rachael Gunn, known as B-girl Raygun, became the center of social media attention during the Paris 2024 Olympics for her unconventional performance in the women’s breaking competition. As a 36-year-old cultural studies lecturer at Macquarie University in Sydney, Gunn stood out not just for her attire, which contrasted sharply with the typical hip-hop fashion of her competitors, but also for her unique, non-traditional moves.
“I didn’t get the memo,” Gunn told Yahoo Sports, “that we weren’t gonna rep our country colors. What’s going on there?”
Unlike her peers, who executed acrobatic power moves, Gunn’s routine included less typical elements like a crab walk and a chin-holding squirm, which she incorporated into her performance.
Gunn entered the competition aware that she might not be a favorite, and her expectations were met when she lost all three of her round-robin battles with 18-0 scores and failed to earn a single vote from the judges.
“Look, I came into the event kind of expecting that I wouldn’t get a vote,” she told Yahoo Sports. “My style is not as suited to these events. You can see the dynamics, and a lot of really quick footwork, and power moves, and freezes, and things like that.”
A particular move where she hopped like a kangaroo became a focal point for trolls, who shared clips and memes mocking her performance.
“Mistakes were definitely made folks, but the biggest one was communication by RayGunn’s Family & Friends, it’s rare, but not telling someone they can’t dance can have Global implications,” a user said on ‘X.’
“I could live all my life and never come up with anything as funny as Raygun, the 36-year-old Australian Olympic breakdancer,” another ‘X’ user added. “Olympic breakdancing… c’mon this not a sport, this isn’t anything except turbo cringe.”
“Insane respect, got an all expenses paid trip to Paris plus all the free gear and is forever an Olympian. She cooked hard here I’m afraid,” an ‘X’ user posted.
Breakdancing at the Olympics. I always like to give the new sports a chance, so can confirm it’s an ABOMINATION. The lowest bar ever to be cleared for an Olympic medal. This is like something you’d see outside Irish pubs at closing time,” another ‘X’ user said.
Gunn reacted to the online trolling by posting a quote on her Instagram: “Don’t be afraid to be different, go out there and represent yourself, you never know where that’s gonna take you.”
“We’re inspiring a whole new generation of people to get into breaking. This is so exciting for us and we just want to share this culture, this dance, and this sport,” she told CNBC before her performance.