Australia’s fiery Olympic breakdancer Rachael “Raygun” Gunn has finally made a public statement about her internationally criticized performance at the Paris Olympics, and she appears to be standing by her efforts. The Olympics may be over, but the drama continues.
In a video posted to Instagram on Thursday, Regan said she was unprepared for the backlash she received and that she wanted to “bring some happiness to people.” [people’s] Life.
“I didn’t realize that this would also open the door to so much hatred, which, frankly, is pretty destructive,” Regan said. “When I go out and have a good time, I do take it very seriously. I prepare for the Olympics with all my heart, I really give it my all. I’m honored to be part of the Australian Olympic team and to be part of Breaking’s Olympic debut part.
Australian batsman Raygun rises to stardom at Paris 2024 Olympics
Regan also spoke of “the accusations and misinformation that are being circulated.” The Australian Olympian’s breakdancing performance sparked much speculation about how she made the Olympic team in the first place, with people on social media speculating she had dishonestly earned her spot.
In response, Raygun referred people to statements from the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC), AUSBreaking and the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF). She also mentioned that there was no point in breaking, in an apparent effort to debunk misinformation about her performance.
“If you want to see how the judges see me compared to my opponents, you can actually look at the comparison percentages for the five criteria on Olympics.com,” Regan said.
Regan performed a kangaroo-like move while competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Photo credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
While it’s true that the Olympic Breaking Judges don’t give “points” to dancers, further clarification doesn’t do Regan much. Olympic Destroyers compete in one-on-one battles for up to three rounds, with each dancer having one minute to perform each round. A panel of nine judges will score each round based on the dancers’ technique, vocabulary, performance, musicality and originality, then vote to select the winner.
However, Raygun not only lost three rounds. Her infamous 0-3 record was due to her losing six rounds in all three tournaments she entered, failing to make it out against American Logistx, France’s Syssy and Lithuania’s Nicka. None of her fights went past three rounds.
The 2024 Olympic women’s taekwondo gold medal ultimately went to Japan’s Ami Yuasa, with Lithuania’s Dominika Banevich taking the silver and China’s Liu Qingyi taking the bronze.
Regan ends the video by asking the media to leave her, her family and friends, and the breakdancing community alone. She said she would be happy to answer more questions once she returns to Australia from a pre-planned holiday in Europe.
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Australian Olympic Committee expresses support for Raygun
Raygun will compete in the Oceania Breaking Championship finals in Sydney on October 28, 2023.
Photo credit: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
According to the AOC statement mentioned by Raygun, WDSF finalized the system and selected judges for the 2023 Oceania Breaking Championships, Australia’s Olympic qualifying tournament. The competition was subsequently organized by AUSBreaking under the auspices of WDSF and DanceSport Australia, with Raygun winning the competition and DanceSport Australia being nominated for the country’s Olympic team.
“Dr Rachael Gunn holds no role within AUSBreaking or DanceSport Australia,” AOC wrote. “She is simply an athlete who competed in a qualifying event and won. No appeal has been made by any of the athletes regarding any funding for her sport by Dr. Gunn.” Decided not to take any responsibility. [Raygun’s husband] Mr Samuel Free is a coach and does not hold any position with AUSBreaking or DanceSport Australia and is not a judge at the qualifying competition.
As such, AOC denounced an anonymous Change.org petition calling for “immediate accountability and transparency” regarding Raygun’s alleged involvement in the selection process for the Paris Olympics. The petition was created over the weekend and received more than 38,000 signatures, but Change.org removed it, with the platform reportedly saying it had been flagged for misinformation.
AOC’s stance was supported by AUSBreaking, which expressed its support for Raygun in multiple posts on Instagram. AUSBreaking denounced the “global online harassment” Raygun has received, refuting rumors that she or Free were involved in the Olympic selection process.
“Bgirl Raygun is accused of establishing her own management organization for Breaking and then using her position to manipulate the selection process to her own benefit,” AUSBreaking wrote. “While AUSBreaking had many interactions and touch points with Raygun, she was She is not a founder, executive, committee member or in any leadership position whatsoever.”
WDSF has not made any recent statements directly addressing the Raygun situation. However, the organization did appear to address this in an Instagram post uploaded over the weekend, stating that WDSF “firmly opposes any form of harassment or abuse, including cyberbullying.”
“Our athletes deserve respect and support as they pursue their dreams,” WDSF wrote. “Let’s respect every athlete and create a supportive environment for everyone.”
Australian Olympic breakdancer Raygun continues to disappoint viewers
Raygun competed against France’s Syssy during the Paris Olympics.
Photo credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Comments on Raygun’s Instagram Reel are overwhelmingly indifferent. Many believed Regan was trying to paint himself as a victim rather than admitting he was underperforming.
“Were you training for that show?” the real estate agent wrote.
“Honest criticism is not hate,” attytjj said. “Treating honest feedback as hateful is demagoguery and an attempt to disparage those who provide honest feedback and criticism through name-calling and accusations.”
Some commenters also noted Raygun’s academic background. Raygun is a lecturer at Macquarie University in Australia and holds a PhD in breakdancing and dance culture. To many, these intellectually focused qualifications are anathema to the breakdance subculture and ethos that originated among disenfranchised black and Puerto Rican people in the Bronx in the 1970s.
“It bothers me that there could be a young man, perhaps from a lower socioeconomic background, who not only could jump better, but whose life would be changed by the opportunity to compete in the Olympics,” divine_awen wrote. “She could have supported them in doing so instead of taking the opportunity herself.”
“Playing the victim card…just apologizing for your bad behavior is likely to gain more respect,” Nekoujevich said.
The Breaking program will not return for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with organizers choosing to abandon Raygun long before it attracted international attention. Maybe that’s for the best.
