‘The breaking and hip hop community definitely stands behind her’
An Olympics judge has explained why Raygun – the Australian breakdancer who went viral for her performance at the games – received zero points.
Breakdancing was making its Olympics debut at Paris 2024, as athletes competed in the iconic Place de la Concorde for the chance to the be the first ever breaking Olympic champion.
Whilst the event attracted plenty of attention, it wasn’t for the reason organisers would have been hoping for.
In recent days, the internet has become obsessed with Australian breakdancer Raygun, real name Rachael Gunn, who went viral for her unique performance.
The 36-year-old became an internet sensation for her moves, and whilst some were praising her as an “Aussie legend,” other posts about her were more mocking.
The Sydney university lecturer lost all three of her breaking clashes, and wasn’t awarded a single point by the judges.
One of the judges from the event, Martin Gilian, has now shed some light on just why Raygun was scored so harshly, the BBC reports.
Gillian – who goes by MGbility in the world of breaking – said he felt “very sorry” for the Olympian and that she had the support of the breaking community.
He said: “I feel personally very sorry.
“The breaking and hip hop community definitely stands behind her. She was just trying to bring something new, something original and something that represents her country. We stay with her.”
But he explained: “We have five criteria in the comparative judging system. Just her level was maybe not as high as the other competitors.
“Again, we’re using a comparative judging system. Her competitors were just better but it doesn’t mean that she did really bad. She did her best.”
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Gilian pointed out that Gunn had qualified for the Olympics on merit, having won the qualifiers for the Oceania region.
He said that she “did her best” at representing Australia and her part of the world, but that “unfortunately for her, the other b-girls were better.”
He added: “That’s why she didn’t score any votes in her rounds.”
Raygun herself has spoken out about the reaction to her performance, saying that she wanted to “do something new, different and creative”, and was pleased with how she did.
