First statement after the Olympics
Australian breaker “Raygun” calls hate “devastating”
After her performance at the Olympics, breakdancer Rachael Gunn becomes a laughing stock on social media. The 36-year-old received a lot of ridicule for her “kangaroo-like” performance. Gunn now claims on Instagram that she “worked her butt off” for her appearance.
Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn, who quickly became an internet phenomenon with her special moves at the Paris Olympics, has expressed her disappointment at the online hate that followed. In an Instagram video, the 36-year-old said the backlash she faced was “pretty devastating.” “I'm glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives,” Gunn said. “I didn't realize that that would also open the door to so much hatred.” That was devastating.
She took the competition very seriously, she continued in her video. “I worked my butt off to prepare for the Olympics and I really gave it my all.”
After the Summer Games, little will be remembered of Rachael Gunn from a sporting perspective. And yet the Australian became an internet star at the Olympic breaking premiere. With zero points, the 36-year-old was the worst of the 16 participants – and the internet was also amused by her rather unusual and simple style. One X user wrote about her performance: “It's amazing that she made it to the Olympics. Don't you have anyone better in Australia?”
“I do my thing”
Gunn rolled around on the floor and hopped like a kangaroo during her performance. She accepted the jury's rating calmly. “All of my moves are original. Creativity is very important to me and that's why I try to put my art out there,” Gunn said. “Sometimes it appeals to the jury, sometimes it doesn't. I do my thing and it's art. That's what it's about.”
At 36, she is almost twice as old as many of her competitors. In her home country she is a scientist and gives lectures. “A year ago, a lot of my students didn't believe me that I was training for the Olympics. They were pretty shocked when they put my name into Google and saw that I was qualified,” Gunn said.
The Australian Olympic team (AOC) condemned an anonymous online petition attacking Gunn as “upsetting, misleading and bullying.” Gunn is simply an athlete who took part in the qualifying event and won it.
