Her style sparked sarcasm on social networks: Australian breaker Raygun stopped the competition.
During the 2024 Olympics, his performance was strongly criticized by Internet users, in particular his imitation of a kangaroo.
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The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games
The criticism surrounding his performance got the better of his career. Australian breaker Raygun announced on Wednesday, November 6, that she was leaving the competition after being upset by the wave of mostly negative reactions to her performance at the 2024 Olympic Games. Rachael “Raygun” Gunn, 37, lecturer at the University of Sydney, was ridiculed by some and acclaimed by others for her unique performance in Paris, where she failed to win in any of her three face-offs with other B-Girls.
Raygun’s moves, including his imitation of a kangaroo and his Australian-colored tracksuit, have been parodied around the world, including by American television host Jimmy Fallon. She was the subject of even more virulent criticism and mockery online.
Devastating criticism
Faced with reactions “really upsetting”, “I am no longer going to participate in competitions”the breaker announced to Australian radio station 2DayFM (new window). “I was really preparing to continue competing, but now it seems to be a really difficult thing for me”confided Raygun. With this level of attention, people filming his performance and posting it online, “it just wouldn’t be the same experience”.
The breaker had previously indicated that she had not imagined that her performance would open the door “so much hatred, which was honestly quite devastating”. “I worked really hard to prepare for the Olympics and I gave it everything I had, really”she assured. Made fun of, the breaker received the support of Australian athletes and the Prime Minister of her country.
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In September, the World Dancesport Federation named her the best breaker in the world, based on events organized between December 2023 and the Games, such as the Oceania Championship, from which she emerged a winner during this period. Present for the first time at the Paris Olympic Games, breaking will not feature at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, in the United States.
