Australian Breakdancer Goes Viral as Sport Makes Its Olympic Debut

Michaela Zee

Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn has caused quite a stir on social media after her performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Breaking, more commonly known as breakdancing, made its debut as an Olympic sport on Friday. The competition consists of two gender-based events, with 16 B-boys and 16 B-girls vying for the gold.

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Gunn — who competes under the name Raygun — went viral online after her performance Friday in the round-robin stage of the women’s breaking competition, where she was swept out without earning a single point. The 36-year-old sparked dozens of memes and drew criticism from viewers for her unconventional moves while competing against the U.S.’s Logan Edra, Lithuania’s Dominika Banevič and France’s Sya Dembélé.

“Mistakes were definitely made folks, but the biggest one was communication by [Raygun’s] family & friends,” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “It’s rare, but not telling someone they can’t dance can have global implications.”

Another user on X wrote, “My dog on the lawn 30 seconds after I’ve finished bathing him.”

Gunn, who has a PhD in cultural studies, is a college professor at Macquarie University in Sydney. She was named the top-ranked B-girl by the Australia Breaking Association in 2020 and 2021, and won the Oceania Breaking Championships in 2023.

“It’s surprising that Raygun from Australia is the top breaker,” X user Bites Of Net said. “The kangaroo move — how did she make it this far?!”

“All of my moves are original,” Gunn told reporters after her performance (per ESPN). “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.”

Ultimately, Japan’s Ami Yuasa earned the gold medal for the B-girls competition at the Paris Olympics, while Banevič scored silver and China’s Liu Qingyi received bronze. The B-boys competition began on Saturday.

See more reactions to Gunn’s breaking performance below:

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