As a long-time fan of street dance and breaking culture, it breaks my heart to see Rachael Gunn, or Raygun as she’s known, going through such a tough time. The 2024 Olympics debut for breaking was a historic moment, and it’s disheartening to see the backlash that Raygun has been facing.
2024 Olympic hopeful Raygun, who faced severe criticism from the internet (including the Paris judging panel) for her performance, admitted on Thursday that the backlash she has received has been “extremely difficult.”
Raygun, originally known as Rachael Gunn, became Australia’s representative in breaking for the very first time at the Olympics. However, her performance received significant backlash, and later, controversy arose when whispers about her potentially influencing Australia’s team selection process to secure her spot emerged.
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She added, “When I was out there, I enjoyed myself immensely, but I also treated it with great importance. I put in countless hours preparing for the Olympics, and I gave my absolute best. It’s an honor to have represented the Australian Olympic Team and to have been a part of breakdancing making its Olympic debut. The accomplishments of the other athletes are simply incredible.”
Raygun, having authored a dissertation on Australia’s evolving culture, subsequently tackled “the rumors and incorrect information circulating,” encouraging anyone seeking clarification to refer to statements issued by the Australian Olympic Committee, the @ausbreaking Instagram account, and the World DanceSport Federation Breaking for Gold page.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Rachael Gunn (@raygun_aus)
The Australian Breaking Team’s selection method, as reported by AUSbreaking a few days back, follows the guidelines set by the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), mirroring International Olympic Committee (IOC) principles. This approach aims for a result that is both fair and transparent.
In the end, it was me (Rachael Gunn) and Jeff Dunne who stood out as the best contenders, following the same rigorous selection process. We were both chosen to proudly represent Australia in Paris. The decision to choose us was solely based on our exceptional performances during the battles that day.
“The statement reads, ‘We strongly oppose the worldwide cyberbullying aimed at Raygun. Competing on the Olympic stage carries a tremendous amount of stress, particularly when facing opponents from Raygun’s specific group. We support Raygun in her struggle.'”
In other words, the stance taken by the AOC was comparable; the WDSF declared their disapproval of cyberbullying and harassment, but didn’t explicitly mention Raygun in their statement.
In her Instagram post, the breakdancer responded to online criticism about allegedly getting a zero from the judges.
“She stated that it was unnecessary to shatter anything. If you’re curious about how the judges assessed her performance against her competitors, you can find the comparison percentages for each of the five criteria on olympics.com. All the results are posted there.”
On the official Olympics website, competitions’ results are shown based on the number of votes given by a total of 18 judges. Unfortunately for Raygun, she didn’t receive any votes during all three rounds of her competition, consequently losing each round with a score of 0-18.
Raygun concluded her statement by asking for understanding and discretion. “I kindly urge you to cease troubling my loved ones, fellow Australian breakdancers, and the wider street dance community,” she expressed. “Everyone has endured a great deal due to this situation, so I humbly request that you show them compassion and give them space. I look forward to addressing further inquiries upon my return to Australia.”
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2024-08-16 06:24