Australian Olympic breakdancer ‘Raygun’ apologises for backlash: ‘I knew my chances were slim’
“Raygun”, Australia’s breakdancer at the Olympics, has spoken out since her performance. (Getty)
“Raygun”, Australia’s breakdancer at the Olympics has apologised for the backlash that the breakdancing community has received since her polarising performance in Paris.
The 37-year-old breakdancer Rachel Gunn went viral online after debuting her unconventional moves at the inaugural Olympic breaking competition on 9 August.
Ever since her performance, Gunn has been subjected to online criticism after failing to receive any points from the judges at the Olympics and was knocked out at the round-robin stage of the competition. Australian Olympic Committee member Anna Meares was even forced to speak out in defence of the dancer, calling her performance “courageous”.
Now, in her first interview since being subjected to all the backlash, Gunn has recognised that she knew her “chances were slim” when it came to competing against other dancers at the Olympics.
The university lecturer said to Channel 10’s The Project that she deserved to be at the competition. “I think my record speaks to that,” she said.
“I won the Oceania Championships. It was a direct qualifier. There were nine judges, all from overseas. I knew my chances were slim as soon as I qualified [for the Olympics].”
Gunn addressed the conspiracy theories surrounding her selection, saying that they “were just awful” to be on the receiving end of. “That was really upsetting. People are now attacking our reputation and our integrity – none of them were grounded in facts.
“It is really sad to hear those criticisms. I am very sorry for the backlash that the community has experienced, but I can’t control how people react. Unfortunately, we just need some more resources in Australia for us to beat [the] world champions.
“While I went out there and had fun, I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all, truly.”
Gunn previously called on the press to stop “harassing” her family, friends, the Australian breaking community and the broader breaking community in the wake of the backlash.
“Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this, so I ask you to please respect their privacy. I’ll be happy to answer more questions on my return to Australia,” she said.
