Who is Australian breakdancer Raygun and what is the controversy around her Paris Olympics 2024 participation?
Breaking, also known as breakdancing, was made a competitive sport in the recently concluded Paris Olympics 2024 for the first time. While it didn't break any records, Breaking at the Paris Olympics 2024 made news around the world for a different reason.
How Raygun became a viral meme?
Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn, aka Raygun, went viral on social media for her rather unimpressive and unique moves. The 36-year-old, who was up against competitors mostly in their 20s, did not win a medal and lost her three round-robin battles by a score of 54-0.
Allegations around her selection for Olympics
Now, the lecturer at the Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, is back in the news. This time, with questions being raised on how she made it to the Australian Olympics team in the first place.
Also read:?Did 'India' win first-ever breakdancing match in Olympics history? Here's the twist
Anonymous petition
An online petition has been launched claiming Gunn had "manipulated" Olympic qualification processes. According to the anonymous petition, Gunn's husband, Samuel Free, was a member of the Australian Breaking organisation, and it was with his influence that she was selected to represent Australia in the Olympics, overlooking other, much younger and more talented competitors.
'Wasn't prepared for this hate'
Amid the mounting criticism and allegations, Raygun, who is yet to return to Australia, posted a video on social media to explain her side of the story.
"While I went out there and I had fun, I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics, and I gave my all, truly," Raygun said.
¡°I really appreciate the positivity, and I¡¯m glad I was able to bring some joy into 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,¡± Raygun said in an Instagram post on Thursday.
"I'd really like to ask the press to please stop harassing my family, my friends, the Australian breaking community, and the broader street dance community. Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this. So I ask you to please respect their privacy," she added.
'No athlete should be treated like this'
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has also extended its support to Raygun and demanded that the petition should be taken down.
"We are demanding that it be removed from the site immediately. No athlete who has represented their country at the Olympic Games should be treated in this way," AOC chief executive officer Matt Carroll said.
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