Australian breaker Raygun is being praised for her bravery following her viral 2024 Paris Olympics performance, and even an Olympic judge is coming to her defense.
“It’s all about originality and it’s all about bringing something new to the table and representing your country or region,” Martin Gilian (a.k.a. MGbility), the chief breaking judge at the Olympics, told reporters, per CNN.
“This is exactly what Raygun was doing, she got inspired by her surroundings, which in this case, for example, was a kangaroo,” Gilian explained. “She created some original moves which could be maybe funny or entertaining for others, but for us, she basically represented breaking and hip hop. She was trying to be original and bring something new to the table. From our perspective, that was nothing really shocking.”
Anna Meares, who’s a former professional cyclist and Australia’s chef de mission, similarly defended Raygun amid her routine going viral.
“If you don’t know Rachael’s story, in 2008, she was locked in a room crying being involved in a male-dominated sport as the only woman, and it took great courage for her to continue on and fight for her opportunity to participate in a sport that she loved,” Meares told reporters per CNN.
Meares continued, “That got her to winning the Olympic qualifying event to be here in Paris. She is the best breakdancer, female, that we have in Australia.”
Meares paid tribute to Raygun, 36, for representing the Olympic team and “spirit” with “great enthusiasm,” adding, “I absolutely love her courage.”
“I love her character, and I feel very disappointed for her that she has come under the attack that she has,” Meares concluded.
Raygun (real name Rachael Gunn) was one of the competitive breakers who made their way to the Olympics for the first time. During her stint in Paris, Raygun lost her three Olympic breaking matches by 54-0.
Following her performances — in which Raygun seemingly did toe touches as she lay on one side and slid across the floor — the university lecturer was ridiculed online.
“Was that a routine? That was cringe factor 100%,” one user wrote via X. “What a ridiculous ‘sport’ to have at the Olympics. At least I got a laugh at the divers back-flopping.”
But Raygun isn’t letting the trolls get to her. After her Olympic debut, Raygun shared a message for her Instagram followers, with a quote noting that you don’t need to “be afraid to be different.” She added, “Go out there and represent yourself, you never know where that’s gonna take you.”
Raygun’s viral routine also got a sweet shoutout from Adele while she performed at her residency in Munich. “It’s all that me and my friends have been talking about,” Adele, 36, said during her Saturday, August 10, show. “I think it’s the best thing that’s happened at the Olympics, the entire time.”
While Raygun didn’t leave Paris with a medal around her neck, she told reporters that she “represents art.”
“What I wanted to do was come out here and do something new and different and creative — that’s my strength, my creativity,” she said. “I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best, the dynamic and the power moves, so I wanted to move differently, be artistic and creative because how many chances do you get in a lifetime to do that on an international stage?”
