Australian Olympic breakdancer Raygun has been met with ridicule and insults on her old Instagram posts following her controversial performance in Paris.
Rachael Gunn, 36, was mercilessly mocked for her “embarrassing” performance, which saw her record three straight clean sheets on her Olympic debut.
Gunn lectures on breakdancing and has gained a large fan base, as well as praise for her efforts to compete against rivals more than half her age.
Her mental health is being closely monitored amid the online attacks after fans criticised the creative arts researcher at Sydney’s Macquarie University, who specialises in “the cultural politics of breakdancing”.
Now a video of her at the Oceania Breaking Championship in November – which she won to secure a spot at the Olympics – has prompted some nasty reactions.
Fans have started mocking viral breakdancer Raygun over her old performances on Instagram
The Aussie was ridiculed after failing to score a single point during three breakdancing battles
Although she received support, some felt she was being displaced by more talented breakers
Activist Neha Madhok (pictured) claimed Gunn’s choice to represent Australia is a ‘reflection of the whiteness of Australian sport’
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“Jesus this is embarrassing,” said one user.
“This feels like a mockery of our culture. What we’ve created and perfected. I’m not feeling this lol,” another responded.
“She’s trolling! It’s a satire on breakdancing,” someone said.
“Bro how did she make it to the Olympics?” another added, peppering the post with laughing emojis.
“Sloppy and she has no rhythm,” read one user’s brutal review.
Many Australians, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, supported Raygun for her ‘go for it’ attitude in Paris.
However, others were outraged by her low score and sometimes bizarre performances, which included kangaroo jumps, resulting in a riot during the race.
Neha Madhok, co-founder and former CEO of political advocacy group Democracy in Colour, claimed Raygun’s choice was a reflection of the “whiteness” of Australian sporting culture.
Fans have flooded her Instagram video with mocking and insulting comments and her mental health is being closely monitored
“There are incredible dancers in places like Western Sydney (just one example) where Black and coloured people are honing their skills and craft in arenas not recognised by established institutions,” Ms Madhok wrote on social media.
‘This is a reflection of the whiteness of Australian sport and Australian attitudes.
‘We could have sent incredible people, the talent is absolutely there, but you have to go to the people.
“It’s such a shame that Australia is once again sending a mediocre white person to represent us on the world stage as we can’t find the real talent amongst First Nations and PoC.”
Raygun, a lecturer at Macquarie University, published a dissertation entitled ‘Deterritorialising Gender in Sydney’s Breakdancing Scene: A B-girl’s Experience of B-boying’.
And she responded to her critics in a defiant manner after losing to the US, France and Lithuania.
She reposted a post from the “Breaking for Gold” account, quoting herself: “Don’t be afraid to be different. Go out there and represent yourself, you never know where that will take you.”
Despite questions about her daily routine, there is no doubting Raygun’s qualities – whether on the dangerous streets of Sydney or behind a desk at Macquarie University.
Ms Gunn’s performance divided viewers around the world, with many criticizing her avant-garde dance moves, including hopping like a kangaroo (pictured)
Raygun went 0-3 on Friday, losing to Logistix (USA), Syssy (France) and Nicka (Lithuania)
She was eliminated in the group round but said she was happy she ‘did her thing’
Raygun shared this image on her Instagram Stories shortly after she withdrew from the Olympics
Raygun was the Australian Breaking Association’s highest ranked b-girl (‘break-girl’) in 2020 and 2021.
She represented her country at the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Breaking World Championships and won the Oceania Breaking Championships last year. Her victory made her the Australian B-girl at the Olympics.
