Key Facts About Rachael Gunn, Controversial Olympic Breakdancer

For the first time ever, breaking — often called breakdancing — made its grand debut as a sport in the 2024 Paris Olympics. This historic decision was expected to create a buzz, but the level of attention it garnered surprised many. On August 9, Rachael Gunn, better known by her stage name Raygun, grabbed headlines with her unconventional and lackluster moves.

At 36, Gunn was representing Australia and competing against much younger athletes. In the initial round, consisting of three dance battles, she failed to score any points, finishing with a solid zero. This outcome ended her chances of advancing further. However, her poor scores soon became a secondary issue. Raygun’s distinctive dance moves went viral, making her the subject of jokes worldwide. Yet, as more details emerge, it’s clear that Raygun’s story is far more intricate.

When she isn’t breaking, Gunn is a professor at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, where she lectures in the Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Literature, and Language. Gunn also holds a PhD in Cultural Studies from the same university, conferred in 2017. She managed to merge her love for dance with her academic interests, securing at least one grant in the process. In 2022, she and another performer were awarded $20,278 to study “Spaces for Street Dance.”

In an interview with the Macquarie University Faculty of Arts, Raygun explained the significance of her project, stating that she aimed “to use this platform to say something artistically –- about movement, creativity, and the possibilities of the body.” Her emphasis on creativity might explain the viral “Kangaroo move” during the Olympics, where she mimicked a kangaroo by hanging up one leg and bending her hands. While it received top marks for creativity, her technical skill didn’t impress as much.

Gunn’s interest in breaking began in the early 2000s when she met her now-husband, Samuel Free. Remarkably, Free is also a breaker, known as “Sammy The Free,” who has garnered significant recognition in Australia’s dance scene. Gunn revealed to the Sydney Morning Herald, “I was introduced to it by my boyfriend, who’s now my husband and my coach.”

She disclosed that it took her a few years to learn to dance properly due to the need to build her upper body strength and because there were very few women in the sport. During a conversation with Macquarie’s The Lighthouse, she recalled her first encounter with a female dancer: “Everyone was jumping into the middle and jamming, and she was the only girl, and she kept jumping in too. That moment stood out for me, and I thought, ‘I can do this too.'”

When breaking was announced as an Olympic sport, Gunn’s husband had the opportunity to represent Australia. Unfortunately, a knee injury sidelined him, leading him to coach his wife instead for the qualifying competition.

Despite various rumors, Rachael Gunn genuinely earned the right to compete in the Olympics. She had to participate in the Oceania Breaking Championships, facing other female breakers or B-girls. Gunn explained to the Guardian how challenging it was and how she almost didn’t make it. In the days leading to the competition, she experienced severe physical strain leading to headaches and body pains.

Despite her efforts to hide these issues, she and her coach-husband noted she had missed some steps and made other minor mistakes that were undetectable to the audience. “Nobody knew except Sammy. I turned to him at the end of the final, and I was like, ‘What do you think?’ and he’s like, ‘You got very lucky.'” Several internet users shared a video of Raygun and her rival, Holy Molly, at the Oceania Breaking Championships, where the consensus was that neither performer reached Olympic standards, though Molly was deemed to be better.

Among her harshest critics is Megan Davis, the vice chancellor at the University of New South Wales in Australia. Davis accused Gunn of failing intentionally and labeled her actions disrespectful because taxpayers funded her Olympic journey and breakdancing studies. She remarked, “Getting zero points on purpose in three rounds for an academic study subsidized by the taxpayer both at a university and Olympic level isn’t funny and isn’t ‘having a go.’ [It’s] disrespectful to other competitors” (via New York Post). Davis also claimed that Gunn was trying to redeem herself with a “fun Aussie gal” stereotype.

Interestingly, The Australian refuted Davis’s claims, revealing that Raygun received no grants for her Olympic endeavor, except for her flight fare paid by the Australian Olympic Committee. Davis has since locked her X account. On the other hand, Raygun found defenders, including dancer and judge Martin Gilian, who praised her creativity and noted the Kangaroo move’s inspiration from her country, although conceding that her opponents were technically superior.

Facing extensive backlash, Rachael Gunn addressed her performance, admitting she knew her competitors were technically superior. “I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best — their power moves. What I bring is creativity” (via ESPN).

Gunn insists that her creativity remains her strongest asset. “All of my moves are original. Creativity is really important to me. I go out there, and I show my artistry. Sometimes it speaks to the judges, and sometimes it doesn’t. I do my thing, and it represents art. That is what it is about.”

Due to the online bullying following her Olympic performance, there have been concerns about her mental health. According to NBC New York, the World DanceSport Federation has reportedly reached out to Gunn, offering supportive tools for her mental well-being amidst the ridicule. Sergey Nifontov, the federation’s secretary, urged the public to prioritize the athlete’s mental health, stating, “She has us as a federation supporting her.”