The Australian became a fan-favourite this summer with her ‘unique’ dance moves.
‘Raygun’, the breakdancer who became one of the most-talked about athletes at this year’s Olympic Games, has spoken out for the first time since the event.
Breakdancing was one of the new additions to this year’s Olympics, and it provided a light-hearted spin to one of the most intense and competitive events in the sporting calendar.
Some of the moments from the dancefloor provided the biggest viral reactions of the two-week event.
One competitor in particular, 36-year-old Aussie Rachael Gunn, stole the hearts of a lot of people who were watching the sport for the very first time.
Unfortunately, Raygun didn’t manage to score a single point from the judges in the opening stage, and left the competition after losing all three of her bouts.
However, the university lecturer quickly became immortal online for her strange but hypnotic movements.
Dr Raygun is an Aussie legend.
— Craig Foster (@Craig_Foster) August 10, 2024
We dance to our own beat.
And bring marsupial energy to every contest.
She’s a national treasure.
Give her an AO.
💚💛#Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/yaTaF5LTSz
One move in particular became a meme, which saw her wiggle around on the floor, with some back home in the land down under calling labelling Gunn a ‘national treasure’.
Now, the rising star shapeshifter has spoken out for the first time about her newfound fame.
In a video posted to Instagram, Raygun said: “I wanted to start by thanking all the people who supported me. I really appreciate the positivity and was glad I was able to bring some joy in to your lives. That’s what I hoped.
“I didn’t realise that would also open the door to so much hate which has frankly been pretty devastating. I went out there and I had fun. I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off working for the Olympics. I gave my all, truly.
“Im honoured to have been a part of the Australian Olympic team and breaking Olympic debut. What the other athletes have achieved has been phenomenal.”
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She also urged the media to ‘stop harassing my family, my friends, the Australian breaking community and the broader street dance community’.
“Please respect their privacy,” she said, and went on to reference the petition signed by over 55,000 people calling for her and Australian cyclist Anna Meares to be held accountable for ‘Unethical Conduct Olympic Selection’.
The Australian Olympic Committee branded the petition as ‘appalling’ and demanded moderators of Change.org to remove it immediately.
While the page remains open, a banner at the top claims that it is under review by moderators after being flagged by users.
Earlier this week, Raygun hit out at Olympic organisers after the news broke that breakdancing would be dropped for the next event in Los Angeles four years from now.
She said: “What is an Olympic sport? What are the similarities between dressage and artistic swimming and the 100m sprint and the pentathlon?
“Breaking is clearly athletic, it clearly requires a whole level of dedication across a number of different aspects. It’s really bringing a new level of excitement.”
