The 2024 Summer Olympics will be the first time formal break dancing competitions will be held alongside traditional sports such as gymnastics, track and field and volleyball. Stars were not born, but household names were. Rachael “Raygun” Gunn, a 36-year-old cultural studies professor, shocked and delighted the audience with one of the most unexpected performances at this year’s competition.
Bringing breakdancing to the Olympicsas part of an effort to broaden its appeal and reach a younger, more diverse audience.. Indeed, one of the reasons this year’s event has been so successful so far appears to be the ease with which viewers can watch the action and share trending videos, comments and memes instantly via platforms like TikTok. The result is that one version of the Summer Olympics is presented on live television, and another version is shared online every day, with various protagonists and interesting moments circulating in all corners of the Internet.
Gunn is now one of them. After 16 years of practicing and participating in various breakdancing world championships, she successfully qualified to represent Australia at the Paris Olympics. “My specialty is style and creativity, not dynamics or power movements like many other dancers,” she tell nbc before the event. “I checked most of the boxes because it’s my specialty. I don’t know if it’s going to be taken as seriously as some of the other criteria, but I hope people are still amazed by what I bring to the table because it’s something different. .
People were certainly in awe, although maybe not in the way she intended. Here are some reactions:
As many have pointed out, Gunn seems like a very nice person who is clearly trying to bring her best energy to one of the biggest stages in the world. In fact, whether she won a medal or not, she accomplished more in competition than most performers. There are some very serious things going on in the world right now, “disgusting” or not, Gunn’s dance is bringing a smile to millions of people today. it brings So you think you can dance The vibe of reality TV — messy, real, unpretentious — is what the Summer Olympics is missing.
