Local breakdancers react to olympic debut

ALBANY ( NEWS10 ) – Australian Olympic breakdancer Rachel “Raygun” Gunn has broken her silence after facing weeks of intense social media criticism for her performance in this year’s Olympic breakdancing competition.

In a statement posted on her Instagram, Gunn said, “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.”

Gunn, who was among the first athletes to compete in breakdancing’s Olympic debut, expressed her dedication to the sport and her disappointment at the backlash. “I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics, and I gave my all,” she added.

To gain insight into the controversy, I spoke with Alex James, founder of 518 Break, a local breakdancing school. James acknowledged that Gunn’s performance might not have met all expectations within the breaking community but urged the community to move forward.

“Did she represent breaking the way we wanted? Not exactly, but I think we can all kind of just move on from there and really try to push the culture in any way that we can,” James said.

During a visit to 518 Break, several students shared their passion for breakdancing and their views on the sport’s inclusion in the Olympics. Joel Rankin, who has been taking lessons for about six years, hopes to compete in the future but recognizes the effort needed to succeed. “I practice like three or four times a week,” Rankin said. “I think I need to practice a lot more if I could win.”

Melissa Rinaldi, another student, emphasized the inclusivity of breakdancing and its positive impact on her family. “I just love how inclusive it is. My son has been doing it forever, and I think it gives him a lot of confidence,” she said. Her son, Vincent, takes lessons at 518 Break and spoke about the commitment required to excel in the sport. “You need to have constant effort… If you quit, you’re never getting back at it. It’s kind of hard unless you keep working at it,” Vincent explained.

Rinaldi expressed disappointment over the negative light social media has cast on breakdancing since the Olympics. “At first, I thought it was a little funny, but now I feel like the attention was really taken away from these amazing athletes, and it was their time for the spotlight,” she said.

Local residents also had mixed opinions about breakdancing’s inclusion in the Olympics. One resident commented, “I guess dancing can be athletic. It gives you a good workout, so I’ll take it.” Another suggested that the selection process for competitors might need improvement to ensure the best athletes are showcased.

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