‘So much hate… I did take it very seriously’: Breakdancer Raygun breaks silence over Olympics performance
15 August 2024, 12:50
Australian Olympic breakdancer Raygun has spoken out for the first time since gaining global fame for her infamous routine.
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Raygun, whose real name is Rachael Gunn, released a video message saying she had been hit with "devastating" hate since her performance in Paris, which saw her gain zero points from the judges.
Questions have been raised about the process which saw the 36-year-old professor qualify for the Olympics, which were the first to feature breakdancing.
And some in Australia have suggested there are better breakdancers in the country than the academic, who says she is primarily interested in "the cultural politics of breaking." A petition calling for more transparency on her selection has garnered tens of thousands of signatures.
But Raygun said on Thursday that she "worked [her] butt off" to get to the Olympics and took her performance "very seriously".
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She said on Instagram: "Hi everyone, Raygun here.
"I just want to start by thanking all the people who have supported me.
"I really appreciate the positivity and I am glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives, that is what I had hoped.
"I didn't realise that that would also open the door to so much hate which has frankly been pretty devastating.
'While I went out there and had fun, I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics and I gave it my all. Truly."
Raygun quickly became the object of derision online following her routine, which featured a "kangaroo dance".
She is a professor with a Ph.D in cultural studies but she failed to impress the judges as she scored zero points across all three round-robin battles.
Sergei Nifontov, general secretary of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) said the organisation had been in direct contact with her to offer mental health support from a safeguarding officer after the attention she garnered online.
"We are aware about what has happened, especially on social media, and definitely we should put the safety of the athlete, in this case, mental safety in first place," he said.
