How has Australian breakdancer Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn responded to the ‘devastating’ hate since the Paris 2024 Olympics?

In response to her efforts in Paris, Raygun, the Australian breakdancer, has now become the focal point of mass amounts of ridicule across the globe. From TikTok videos to a plethora of memes on Instagram, there has been no hiding place for the Olympian and that’s understandably why she has now made it clear that things have gone too far.

‘Raygun’ has taken some heat

It would be remiss to begin without some form of disclaimer when it comes to the situation surrounding Rachael “Raygun” Gunn and her performance in the inaugural breakdance tournament that was staged during the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Firstly, it’s got to be said that Gunn’s performance was not exactly on par with what even the most casual of observers would be accustomed to, when they visualize the art form of breakdancing. That, however, leads us to the second point which is that social media users often go too far when it comes to criticism, due to the protection offered to them by posting words in a digital space from a distance, as opposed to face-to-face. Be that as it may, you can take a look at her full performance below and judge for yourself:

‘Raygun’ asks social media to stop. Did the ridicule go too far?

If we’re honest, one can empathize with Gunn who has become the butt of countless jokes, memes, and parodies across essentially all social platforms since her group stage performance on August 9th. Indeed, so intense has been the backlash that the 36-year-old college professor has no posted a video herself in which she stated that she was “honored” to have been a part of breakdancing’s Olympic debut, however, she went on to note that he has received an onslaught of hateful comments over the past week.

“Hi everyone, Raygun here,” Gunn said in an Instagram reel on her personal account. “I just want to start by thanking all the people who have supported me. I really appreciate the positivity and I’m glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives. That’s what I’d hoped. I didn’t realize that would also open the door to so much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating. ...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.”

Gunn then proceeded to address the allegations related to her qualification for the Olympics. If you didn’t know, many have promoted the idea that Gunn along with her husband, manipulated the qualification process for the Olympics, such that she was able to participate in the Summer Games when she shouldn’t have been there in the first place. Those theories have since been disproven but as one can imagine, they only add fuel to the fire which is why Gunn herself spoke directly to her accusers.

“In regards to the allegations and misinformation floating around, I’d like to ask everyone to refer to the recent statement made by the AOC as well as the posts on the AUSBreaking Instagram page as well as the WDSF Breaking for Gold page.” It’s definitely worth noting that a petition against Gunn was enacted after which the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) issued a statement defending her. “It is disgraceful that these falsehoods concocted by an anonymous person can be published in this way,” AOC chief executive officer Matt Carroll said. “It amounts to bullying and harassment and is defamatory. No athlete who has represented their country at the Olympic Games should be treated in this way.” For the purpose of context, Gunn, who is a lecturer at Macquarie University in Sydney and holds a doctorate in cultural studies, was not awarded a single point by judges on her way to losing her three round-robin dance battles in the Games. “I went out there and I had fun, I did take it very seriously,” she said. “I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all, truly.”