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Did Viral Australian Breakdancer Raygun ‘Rig’ Her Way to the Paris Olympics? The Full Controversy Explained
Getting all dizzy with the ongoing Raygun, Australian Olympic breakdancer's controversy? Allow us to explain the detailed timeline and 'break' it down!
The Raygun controversy? Allow us to 'Break' it down! At the 2024 Paris Olympics, there was a lot to take in—from Simone Biles' return to Tom Cruise’s closing-ceremony stunt and the unforgettable beauty moments—but one thing that's still buzzing online is Raygun.
The Olympics might be over, with ‘Breaking’ missing the cut for the 2028 Olympics, but the cloud hanging over Breakdancer Raygun isn’t going anywhere. With more drama piling on, here's the full timeline of the 'Raygun Controversy.'
Who is Raygun, the 2024 Olympics breakdancer?
Meet Rachel Gunn, the Australian B-girl who’s turned into a pop culture sensation after she...well, lost during the women’s breaking competition in Paris. This was the first year breaking made its Olympic debut. The 36-year-old dancer, who also lectures at Sydney’s Macquarie University, earned her PhD in cultural studies in 2007. On the university's website, she mentions her interest in “the cultural politics of breaking.”
Her research covers areas like “breaking, street dance, and hip-hop culture,” as well as “the politics of gender and gender performance” and “youth cultures/scenes.” Gunn’s got some serious academic creds, plus a background in jazz and ballroom dancing. She first got into breaking while dating her now-husband, Samuel Free, who’s also a breaker.
Raygun’s 2024 Olympic performance; where it all began
Rachael “Raygun” Gunn didn’t snag a medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but her odd breakdancing routine sure left an impression.
The Australian breakdancer went viral after she failed to earn even a single point in the first-ever Olympic breaking competition on Friday.
Gunn pulled out all the stops—spinning on her head, flinging her arms like a windmill, rolling on her shoulders, and even reaching for her toes while lying on her side. But what fans remember most is her “kangaroo hop,” where she jumped around like Australia’s iconic animal.
Japan’s Ami Yuasa took home the gold, with Lithuania’s Dominika Banevič and China’s Liu Qingyi winning silver and bronze, respectively.
“I was never going to beat these girls at their power moves,” Gunn told reporters after the tournament, per Sky News. “What I bring is creativity.”
Gunn’s performance quickly blew up on social media. One person even compared her moves to Julia Stiles’ choreography in the 2001 film “Save the Last Dance.”
“I want Raygun, the 36-year-old Australian breakdancer possessed by the spirit of Julia Stiles in Save the Last Dance, to know that I am now her biggest fan and she should never stop doing whatever it is she’s trying to do,” someone wrote on X.
And soon, the criticism started pouring in…
Now, a petition, signed by thousands, claims Raygun ‘rigged’ her way into the Olympics
Many people have watched a TikTok video that makes some serious allegations against Gunn, and there's even a petition on Change.org calling for action against her and Anna Meares, the Australian Chef de Mission for Paris 2024. The video delves into these claims.
The petition argues that Gunn set up her own governing body and manipulated the Olympic selection process, essentially rigging the Australian breakdancing competition. She’s accused of organizing her own qualification tournament and not giving other competitors the necessary tools to compete, all to secure her spot representing Australia at the Olympics.
The video also points out that Samuel Free, Gunn’s husband, coached the Australian breakdancing team and was part of the selection panel.
The Australian breaking organization AUSBreak defends Raygun against allegations
AUSBreak has stepped up to defend Raygun against accusations that she cheated to secure her place at the 2024 Paris games.
In a statement released Tuesday, August 12, AUSBreak insisted that the selection process for Australia’s breaking team met International Olympic Committee standards to “ensure a fair and transparent outcome.”
They emphasized that the judges at the October 2023 tryouts used “the same judging system as the Paris Games and were trained to uphold the highest standards of impartiality. These judges are all highly respected in their communities and the international Breaking scene.”
“Ultimately, Rachael Gunn and Jeff Dunne emerged as the top performers through the same process, earning their spots to represent Australia in Paris,” the statement continued. “Their selection was based purely on their performance in their battles on that day. Leading up to Paris, Raygun consistently used her platform as the Australian Breaking representative to advocate in the media for Breaking’s history, artistic and athletic values, and its cultural roots.”
Australians being ‘gaslit’ into thinking Raygun’s Olympic performance was ‘good’
Daniel Wild of the IPA says Australians are being “gaslit” into believing Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn’s performance at the Paris Olympic Games was “good.”
“It was objectively a bad performance,” Wild told Sky News host Rita Panahi.
Wild’s comments come after Australian Sports Commission CEO Kieren Perkins told The Project that Australians should be proud of Raygun and her “awesome” display at the Olympics.
So, how did Raygun qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics?
Raygun was the top-ranked B-girl in the Australian Breaking Association in 2020 and 2021. She represented Australia at the World DanceSport Federation Breaking Championships from 2021 through 2023 and won the WDSF Oceania Breaking Championships in 2023. Even though her Olympic performance didn’t quite hit the mark, no less an authority than
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese commented on Raygun’s unique style, saying in a press conference: “Raygun had a crack, good on her, and a big shout out to her. That is in the Australian tradition of people having a go. She’s had a go representing our country, and that’s a good thing.”
Rachel Dratch spoofs Raygun and crashes Jimmy Fallon’s ‘Tonight Show’ monologue
It was only a matter of time before a comedian took a shot at spoofing Australian breakdancer Raygun, whose Paris Olympics performance over the weekend earned her zero points and inspired a flood of memes. “Saturday Night Live” alum Rachel Dratch did just that during “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Monday night, interrupting the late-night host’s monologue with some wild dance moves.
“Breakdancing made its Olympic debut, and everyone’s still talking about the competitor from Australia named Raygun,” Fallon said, then showed a clip from Raygun’s performance, which featured a lot of floorwork and rabbit-like jumping.
“You have to wonder where Raygun is right now,” Fallon continued, just before the music from Raygun’s routine started playing. Dratch then popped out from behind the curtain, dressed exactly like Raygun, and did a hilarious rendition of the Australian’s now infamous dance.
“Wow, Raygun! It’s Raygun, everybody!” Fallon said between laughs. “I have to ask you this, how are you feeling since your performance?”
Dratch, as Raygun, responded by dancing, hitting the floor, and comically replicating some twists and turns. “Raygun, I see you speak through your dance moves,” Fallon quipped. “I understand.”
Molly Chapman, the breakdancer who ‘lost’ to Raygun, going viral
The B-girl Rachael “Raygun” Gunn beat to secure her spot at the Paris Olympics is now going viral after a video of her at an event last year started making the rounds on social media.
Wollongong’s Molly Chapman was defeated by Gunn in the WDSF Oceania Championships at Sydney’s Town Hall last October, which earned Gunn her Olympic spot.
It wasn’t the first time either of them had tried to qualify for Paris. Chapman finished 79th and Gunn was 64th out of 80 participants at the World Championships.
While Gunn qualified through Oceania, Chapman had one last shot at the Olympics but couldn’t clinch a spot at qualifying events in Shanghai and Budapest earlier this year.
But after Gunn’s Olympic performance was widely criticized on social media and by celebrities like Adele and Jimmy Fallon, many viewers were left baffled that Gunn had managed to beat Chapman.
So, what do you think? Let us know in the comments below!
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