Australia Rachael Gunn’s Breakdance Olympic Journey in the Face of Social Media Criticism

[Social Media]

 

Rachael Gunn, an Australian university lecturer who competed under the name "Raygun," became a central figure in a social media controversy following her participation in the debut of breakdancing at the Paris Olympics. Her routine and choice of attire were met with harsh criticism online, with many mocking her for her unique approach. Gunn, 36, donned a green and yellow Australian Olympic tracksuit, a stark contrast to the streetwear typically worn by her competitors in the breakdancing scene. Her performance, which included bouncing movements reminiscent of a kangaroo and headstands, drew ridicule from social media users, especially after she lost all three of her round-robin contests by a combined score of 54-0.

 

 

Despite the negative reactions, Gunn explained the thought process behind her performance. She acknowledged the skill and dynamic power moves of her competitors, recognizing that she would be unlikely to beat them on their terms. Instead, she chose to approach the competition differently, focusing on artistry and creativity. Gunn saw this as a rare opportunity to express herself on an international stage and wanted to make her mark in a unique way. "I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best, the dynamic and the power moves, so I wanted to move differently, be artistic and creative because how many chances do you get in a lifetime to do that on an international stage?" Gunn said. Though she knew she was the underdog, she was determined to stand out through her distinct style and approach.

 

 

The criticism Gunn faced online deeply disappointed many in the sports community, including Australian Olympic legend Anna Meares. Meares, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in cycling and the Australian team’s chef de mission in Paris, expressed her frustration with the negative comments directed at Gunn. Meares praised Gunn for her bravery in choosing to represent herself authentically, despite the pressure to conform to more traditional expectations within the sport. "I think that what has occurred on social media with trolls and keyboard warriors, and taking those comments and giving them air time, has been really disappointing," Meares said. She also highlighted the significance of Gunn’s courage and character, emphasizing how unfortunate it was that Gunn had to face such harsh criticism. "I absolutely love her courage. I love her character, and I feel very disappointed for her that she has come under the attack that she has," Meares added.

 

In response to the backlash, Gunn maintained a positive outlook, encouraging others to embrace their individuality and not to be afraid of standing out. She stressed the importance of staying true to oneself, even in the face of adversity. "Don't be afraid to be different, go out there and represent yourself, you never know where that's gonna take you," she said. Gunn’s message was a powerful reminder of the value of self-expression and the importance of resilience in pursuing one’s passion.

 

The incident also brought to light issues of misogyny in the world of sports, a concern that Meares did not hesitate to address. She recalled Gunn’s earlier experiences as a woman in a male-dominated sport, reflecting on how Gunn had once found herself crying alone in 2008 due to the overwhelming pressure and lack of acceptance. Meares praised Gunn for her perseverance and for continuing to pursue her passion despite the obstacles she faced. "In 2008, she was locked in a room crying being involved in a male-dominated sport as the only woman, and it took great courage for her to continue on and fight for her opportunity to participate in a sport that she loved," Meares said. Gunn’s journey, marked by both triumphs and challenges, exemplifies the strength and determination required to break through barriers and make a lasting impact in one’s chosen field.

 

Gunn seemed to share Meares’ sentiment regarding the double standards that often exist in the world of sports. She questioned whether male counterparts would receive the same level of scrutiny for their clothing choices, hinting at the gender bias that still persists in many areas of competition. "Looking forward to the same level of scrutiny on what the b-boys wear tomorrow," Gunn remarked, pointing out the disparity in how female and male participants are often judged. In the context of breaking, female participants are known as ‘b-girls,’ while their male counterparts are referred to as ‘b-boys,’ a distinction that underscores the gendered nature of the sport.

 

Breaking, a style of street dance that originated in 1970s New York, was announced as part of the Olympic program for Paris in 2020. The event was introduced with the aim of attracting a younger audience to the Games, showcasing a dynamic and culturally significant form of dance on the world stage. However, the future of breaking in the Olympics remains uncertain, as it is not yet part of the program for the Los Angeles Games in 2028. Gunn’s experience in Paris, while marked by controversy, also highlights the evolving nature of the Olympics as they seek to incorporate new and diverse forms of competition.

 

 

Credit: BBC  2024-08-13

 

 

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[thaibeachlovers]

I thought this would be a thread mocking breakdancing as an Olympic sport. Sadly I was mistaken.

If this <deleted> passes for sport, the Olympics are beyond redemption. They already became a bad joke when they allowed professionals to compete.

[SAFETY FIRST]

Some people just don't get embarrassed. 

Why is a 36yo woman breakdanceing, representing Australia, leave it for the young one's. 

 

 

A true candidate for an appearance on OnlyFans, she'd make a fortune, maybe she could try some weird sexual positions doing the kangaroo thing. 

 

 

[parallelman]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I thought this would be a thread mocking breakdancing as an Olympic sport. Sadly I was mistaken.

If this <deleted> passes for sport, the Olympics are beyond redemption. They already became a bad joke when they allowed professionals to compete.

I read this morning that it has been cut from the Olympics.I remember a friend taking me to a street breakdancing competition in the 60's. Very acrobatic. Someone told me there that breakdancing goes back to 1920-1930's, is that correct? As it has acrobatic elements I would have thought it best as a section of the gymanstics. I'm sure forum members here do better than 'Raygun' in their morning exercises 😀.

[sherwood]

Breakdancing as an Olympic competition? Nah, she did well to showcase the stupidity of the concept of this being a sport in my 

opinion.

What's next? Hotdog eating competition. 

[JonnyF]

If thats the best Aussie women can do she makes a great case for men competing in women's sports. 😆

 

Absolutely awful. An embarrassment to Australia. Worse than Eddie the eagle all those years back. 

[PETERTHEEATER]

1 hour ago, sherwood said:

Breakdancing as an Olympic competition? Nah, she did well to showcase the stupidity of the concept of this being a sport in my 

opinion.

What's next? Hotdog eating competition. 

Skip the hotdogs. Hiding the salami would be popular with spectators. 😆

[JonnyF]

1 hour ago, sherwood said:

Breakdancing as an Olympic competition? Nah, she did well to showcase the stupidity of the concept of this being a sport in my 

opinion.

What's next? Hotdog eating competition. 

 

Actually breakdancing at the highest level is incredible. Easily comparable to the top gymnasts. 

 

This woman on the other hand was awful. Some kind of stupid woke interpretation that totally failed on every level like most Woke ideas. 

 

IMO she deserves the negative reaction. It was embarrassingly bad and mocked a sport that many dedicate their lives to. It might even be the nail in the coffin that sees the sport removed from future Olympics, putting the sport back years.

[sherwood]

9 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

Actually breakdancing at the highest level is incredible. Easily comparable to the top gymnasts. 

 

This woman on the other hand was awful. Some kind of stupid woke interpretation that totally failed on every level like most Woke ideas. 

 

IMO she deserves the negative reaction. It was embarrassingly bad and mocked a sport that many dedicate their lives to. It might even be the nail in the coffin that sees the sport removed from future Olympics, putting the sport back years.

Well she obviously achieved her objective.

Cheers 

[JonnyF]

15 minutes ago, sherwood said:

Well she obviously achieved her objective.

Cheers 

 

Assuming her objective was to embarrass herself her country and her sport?

 

Yes. Mission accomplished. 

[sqwakvfr]

I saw the video and it is bad. She looks like a stiff grandma who is shuffling to her own drummer.  As expected the Australian Olympic Committee and even the PM is defending her by saying "She gave it a go".  She certainly did and she is making Australia into a meme.  I believe LA 2028 will not have breakdancing.  

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

5 hours ago, parallelman said:

I read this morning that it has been cut from the Olympics.I remember a friend taking me to a street breakdancing competition in the 60's. Very acrobatic. Someone told me there that breakdancing goes back to 1920-1930's, is that correct? As it has acrobatic elements I would have thought it best as a section of the gymanstics. I'm sure forum members here do better than 'Raygun' in their morning exercises 😀.

Google tells me it started in the late 1960s, which seems about right.

[thaibeachlovers]

39 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

MO she deserves the negative reaction. It was embarrassingly bad and mocked a sport that many dedicate their lives to. It might even be the nail in the coffin that sees the sport removed from future Olympics, putting the sport back years.

Sport? Do tell.  I think it's a bit sad that anyone spends a large part of their life dedicated to something so fleeting as "sport", but I grew up when there were no "professional" sportspeople in NZ- none, zero. People did sport as a hobby, but their life wasn't about it. Now it's all tv interviews, 15 minutes of fame, stupid costumes, and money, money, money.

Sad world we live in, IMO.

[thaibeachlovers]

12 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

I saw the video and it is bad. She looks like a stiff grandma who is shuffling to her own drummer.  As expected the Australian Olympic Committee and even the PM is defending her by saying "She gave it a go".  She certainly did and she is making Australia into a meme.  

 

 

The world we live in was built by people "giving it a go". Good for her, and the mockers can take a running jump. It's not like they ever did anything worthwhile themselves, is it?

[JonnyF]

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Sport? Do tell.  I think it's a bit sad that anyone spends a large part of their life dedicated to something so fleeting as "sport", but I grew up when there were no "professional" sportspeople in NZ- none, zero. People did sport as a hobby, but their life wasn't about it. Now it's all tv interviews, 15 minutes of fame, stupid costumes, and money, money, money.

Sad world we live in, IMO.

Sport is great at grass roots level. Encourages competition and self discipline. Increases confidence and self worth in those who compete. Especially youngsters. I learnt many lessons on the football and rugby pitch.

 

Of course you get the prima donnas once money gets involved at the elite level but that's true in every profession.

 

If you don't consider breakdancing a sport I suggest you watch some on YouTube. It's equivalent to gymnastics at the highest level maybe even better.

[sqwakvfr]

13 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

The world we live in was built by people "giving it a go". Good for her, and the mockers can take a running jump. It's not like they ever did anything worthwhile themselves, is it?

True but it still looked bad.  Australia does not have 18 year olds who can actually break dance? What did OZ Olympic Committee think was going to happen? I mean if this was a festival iin Sydney then ok but not the Olympics with a global audience.  The following is an example of "giving it a go" by a shotputter trying to save her track team from disqualification:

 

[thaibeachlovers]

Just now, sqwakvfr said:

True but it still looked bad.  Australia does not have 18 year olds who can actually break dance? What did OZ Olympic Committee think was going to happen? I mean if this was a festival iin Sydney then ok but not the Olympics with a global audience. 

I think it's great that Oz is able to allow an older person to live her dream. The worship of youth just annoys me immensely.

Perhaps all the 18 year old Aussies are too busy looking at rubbish on social media to get off their fat backsides and do something.

[sqwakvfr]

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I think it's great that Oz is able to allow an older person to live her dream. The worship of youth just annoys me immensely.

Perhaps all the 18 year old Aussies are too busy looking at rubbish on social media to get off their fat backsides and do something.

Then why didn't the IOC giver Raygun a participation medal for her  effort as an older olympian? 

[thaibeachlovers]

9 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Sport is great at grass roots level. Encourages competition and self discipline. Increases confidence and self worth in those who compete. Especially youngsters. I learnt many lessons on the football and rugby pitch.

 

Of course you get the prima donnas once money gets involved at the elite level but that's true in every profession.

 

If you don't consider breakdancing a sport I suggest you watch some on YouTube. It's equivalent to gymnastics at the highest level maybe even better.

I am very aware of what breakdancing is and when the Olympics allows kids to run up a climbing wall as a "sport" might as well include breakdancing, and how high a guy can pee up a wall.

It's not breakdancing per se, but the entire Olympics which as been turned into some sort of mockery of what it used to be when all amateur.

 

BTW, I'm all for "grassroots" sport, and that should be it for most "sports".

[thaibeachlovers]

3 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

Then why didn't the IOC giver Raygun a participation medal for her  effort as an older olympian? 

How would I know? Ask them.

[NativeBob]

please have some mercy on Raygun. she is from Australia where are black mambas, some strange animals and insects

[sherwood]

40 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

Assuming her objective was to embarrass herself her country and her sport?

 

Yes. Mission accomplished. 

I believe her appearance in this non-event was to highlight the total ridiculous concept of pandering to a woke minority.

Treating this kind of non-event with her performance was calculated to expose her repulishen of the purported accepted norm.

I applaud her satire.

[Yellowtail]

She has a PhD in Cultural Studies, her thesis was titled: "Deterritorializing gender in Sydney's breakdancing scene: a B-girl's experience of B-boying"

 

So clearly, she is an expert on breakdancing. I head this likened to Americans with PhDs in journalism, pretending to journalists, when they are typically just hacks.   

[sqwakvfr]

15 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

How would I know? Ask them.

Exactly. I wonder what the IOC really thought about her performance.  At least in 2028 the world will be spared of this type of performance because Break Dancing will not be on the calendar.  This decision was made before Raygun's "performance". 

[parallelman]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Google tells me it started in the late 1960s, which seems about right.

Thank you. I looked up Youtube and there seems to have been some early movies from 50's which look like pre-breakdance and then the Bronx Boys. Ha, I didn't know about these movies. Oh well learn something new every day.

[sqwakvfr]

2 hours ago, parallelman said:

Thank you. I looked up Youtube and there seems to have been some early movies from 50's which look like pre-breakdance and then the Bronx Boys. Ha, I didn't know about these movies. Oh well learn something new every day.

This is from the 1970 and Rerun was great.

 

[Stargeezr]

I have never considerred breakdancing as a sport. I do hope it was a one time thing for the Olympics.

 That is my opinion.

[Evil Penevil]

12 hours ago, parallelman said:

I read this morning that it has been cut from the Olympics.I remember a friend taking me to a street breakdancing competition in the 60's. Very acrobatic. Someone told me there that breakdancing goes back to 1920-1930's, is that correct? 

 

Some forms of African-American "jazz dance" were similar to modern  breaking.  Take a look at:

 

 

and 

 

 

Breaking as we think of it today emerged in the 1970s in the South Bronx as part of the hip hop culture pioneered by DJ  Kool Herc.

 

I don't know why so many people are down on Raygun.  Her kangeroo dance that scored zero points belongs in the same tradition as GB ski jumper Eddy the Eagle and the Jamaican  national bobsled team.  The public loves a grand loser almost as much as a winner.  

 

[placeholder]

3 hours ago, Evil Penevil said:

 

Some forms of African-American "jazz dance" were similar to modern  breaking.  Take a look at:

 

 

and 

 

 

Breaking as we think of it today emerged in the 1970s in the South Bronx as part of the hip hop culture pioneered by DJ  Kool Herc.

 

I don't know why so many people are down on Raygun.  Her kangeroo dance that scored zero points belongs in the same tradition as GB ski jumper Eddy the Eagle and the Jamaican  national bobsled team.  The public loves a grand loser almost as much as a winner.  

 

Great post! My only quibble is that the first video doesn't use the original music but for some reason dubs the video with music that clearly doesn't belong. Here's a video with the original music. The proto break dancer in question makes his appearance at about 1:42

 

 

[Stargeezr]

The word dancing in break dancing or any other form of dancing, should have indicated that it is not a sport.