Australia's Chef de Mission Anna Meares has hit out at criticism of Rachael Gunn after the breakdancer was ridiculed online and in mainstream media for her performance in the sport's Olympic debut in Paris.
Gunn, a 36-year-old Australian university lecturer known in breaking as b-girl Raygun, lost all three of her round-robin battles by a combined score of 54-0 on Friday.
"I love Rachael, and I think that what has occurred on social media with trolls and keyboard warriors, and taking those comments and giving them airtime, has been really disappointing," Meares said at a news conference Saturday. "Raygun is an absolutely loved member of this Olympic team. She has represented the Olympic team, the Olympic spirit with great enthusiasm. And I absolutely love her courage. I love her character, and I feel very disappointed for her, that she has come under the attack that she has."
Gunn quickly achieved internet fame while competing against some b-girls half her age. Her unconventional moves landed flat while failing to match the skill level of her foes.
At one point, Gunn raised one leg while standing and leaned back with her arms bent toward her ears. At another, while laying on her side, she reached for her toes, flipped over and did it again in a move dubbed "the kangaroo."
"I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best -- their power moves," Gunn said. "What I bring is creativity."
Clips of her routine have gone viral on TikTok and elsewhere, and many cringed at her moves platformed on the Olympic stage as a representation of hip-hop and breaking culture.
Gunn has a Ph.D. in cultural studies, and her LinkedIn page notes she is "interested in the cultural politics of breaking." She said she took the criticism and mockery in stride.
"All of my moves are original," she told reporters. "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."
Meares said the criticism of Gunn's performance and appearance was consistent with the sort of misogynistic abuse that women athletes have suffered over the past century as they fought for their space in the sporting world.
"In 2008, she was locked in a room crying being involved in a male-dominated sport as the only woman, and it took great courage for her to continue on and fight for her opportunity to participate in a sport that she loved," said Meares, a former Olympic champion cyclist. "That got her to winning the Olympic qualifying event to be here in Paris. She is the best breakdancer female that we have for Australia."
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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