Olympic Breakdancer Raygun Defended by Australian Exec After Viral Performance, Memes

Australia's Chef de Mission for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and former Olympic cyclist Anna Meares spoke out in support of Australian breakdancer Raygun on Friday after her performances in the Olympic debut of breaking went viral.

Raygun, whose real name is Rachael Gunn, represented Australia in breaking on Friday, getting shut out in all three of her Group B matches against Lithuania's Dominika Banevič, France's Sya Dembélé and the United States' Logan Edra.

Gunn was the talk of the breaking competition on social media, as many used clips of her performances to crack jokes and create memes at her expense due to her unconventional moves.

Per ESPN, Meares fired back Saturday at those who ridiculed Raygun in a mean-spirited way, saying:

"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. 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."

The 36-year-old Gunn is a university lecturer with a Ph.D. in cultural studies in her native Australia, and the addition of breaking to the Olympic program allowed her to live out a dream.

After she was eliminated from the event with three consecutive losses, Gunn was pragmatic about the situation, telling reporters: "I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best—their power moves. What I bring is creativity."

Gunn later went on to suggest that she wasn't too concerned about the results and simply enjoyed getting to express herself on the world stage, saying: "All of my moves are original. 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 pointed out that Raygun overcame a great deal of discrimination over the years to rise to the top in a male-dominated sport, and noted that she earned her way into the Olympics by winning qualifying events.

Japan's Ami Yuasa took gold in the Olympic debut of women's breaking, while Banevič won the silver and China's Liu Qingyi.

Raygun didn't make it onto the podium, but she got people talking and seems to have a positive outlook on her Olympic experience in Paris.