There were plenty of moments from the 2024 Olympics that got people talking—from Flavor Flav's involvement in Team USA women's water polo team to the manufactured controversy surrounding Algerian boxer Imane Khelif—but perhaps none more so than the internet sensation known as Raygun. The Australian breaking competitor went viral over her performance, and the subsequent memes took off like wildfire.
But while much of the attention Raygun (whose real name is Rachael Gunn) has been good natured, the Macquarie University breaking researcher has also received her share of online bullying. As such, the 36-year-old spoke out on Thursday in an Instagram video to clarify a few points and ask people to respect her privacy.
"Hi everyone, Raygun here," Gunn said at the beginning of the clip. "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 hoped. I didn’t realize that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating."
"While I went out there and I had fun, I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all, truly," she continued. "I’m honored to have been a part of the Australian Olympic team and to be part of breaking’s Olympic debut. What the other athletes have achieved has just been phenomenal."
Addressing the "allegations and misinformation," Gunn asked those watching to refer to the recent statement made by the Australian Olympic Committee, posts on the Ausbreaking Instagram account, and the WDSF Breaking for Gold website.
Among the things she's been accused of are purposely attempting to earn "zero points" and manipulating the selection process to qualify for the Olympics over more talented and qualified breakdancers. A since-deleted petition was even launched to hold Gunn accountable for "unethical conduct."
"Bit of a fun fact for you, there are actually no points in breaking," she explained. "If you want to see how the judges thought I compared to my opponents, you can actually see the comparison percentages across the five criteria on Olympics.com ; all the results are there."
Gunn noted that she was going to be in Europe for a few weeks for some preplanned downtime, but made a plea to the public to please stop harassing her family, friends, and the Australian breaking community.
"Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this so I ask you to please respect their privacy," she concluded, adding that she would be happy to answer more questions once she returns to Australia.
With any hope, those will be the last words Raygun has to speak about the backlash to her performance. And while breaking won't be part of the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, perhaps Gunn will be able to represent her country once again when the Olympics head to Brisbane in 2032.
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