Australia’s viral Olympics breaker Rachel Gunn, AKA Raygun, has become the subject of an anonymous online petition, calling for Gunn and Australian Olympic Team Chef de Mission Anna Meares to be held “accountable for unethical conduct” in Gunn’s Olympic selection.
The petition, hosted on Change.org, urges Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) to investigate the alleged misconduct. The AOC has strongly condemned the petition, labelling it defamatory, and has called for its immediate removal.
AOC Chief Executive Matt Carroll has come out in defence of Gunn, stating that the petition is not only false but also harmful. “This petition amounts to bullying and harassment,” Carroll said.
“It is disgraceful that these baseless accusations can be spread in such a manner. Dr Rachael Gunn was selected through a transparent and independent process, and there is no truth to the claims made in this petition.”
Carroll emphasised that the petition has stirred up public hatred without any factual basis, further complicating the situation for Gunn, who has already been the subject of intense online scrutiny following her Olympic debut.
What is the Raygun Paris Olympics controversy?
Raygun became a viral sensation after her performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Competing in the inaugural breaking competition, she finished the round-robin stage without scoring a single point. Despite failing to record a single point, Raygun’s “unique” routine has caught the attention of social media users worldwide.
The response was polarising.
Some praised her for daring to be different on the world stage. Others were less forgiving, turning her into the subject of widespread online mockery.
Even Prime Minister Anthony Albanese weighed in, offering a mix of support and realism. “Raygun had a crack, good on her,” Albanese said in a press conference. “That is in the Australian tradition of people having a go. She’s had a go representing our country, and that’s a good thing.”
How was Raygun selected for the Olympics?
Amid the controversy, questions have arisen about the fairness of the selection process that led to Raygun’s inclusion in the Australian Olympic team. The AOC has firmly defended its procedures, noting that Gunn won her place in the team by securing victory at the Oceania Breaking Championship in 2023, a qualifying event held in Sydney.
This event was conducted under the Olympic qualification system overseen by the World DanceSport Federation, with nine independent international judges brought in to ensure impartiality.
“Dr Rachael Gunn holds no position with AUSBreaking or DanceSport Australia in any capacity,” the AOC stated. “She is simply an athlete who competed in the qualifying event which she won. There were no appeals from any athlete.”
However, within the Australian breaking community, some have voiced concerns that the qualification process may have inadvertently excluded top talents. The rapid organisation of the Sydney event and stringent registration requirements reportedly discouraged many B-girls from participating, resulting in what some describe as an underwhelming competition field.
Footage of fellow breaker Molly Chapman has since gone viral sparking further questions as to Raygun’s Olympics selection.
What has the response to Raygun been so far?
The backlash against Raygun’s Olympic performance dominated headlines in the days following the closing ceremony – in fact by the closing night of the Games, “Raygun Olympics” was outranking “The Olympics” on Google search volume.
While some supporters have backed in the Aussie breaker, others are concerned that her viral moment has overshadowed other positive stories in the scene and has potentially harmed the reputation of Australian breaking on the global stage.
Catherine Tsang, a semi-retired B-girl, acknowledged the emotional toll the situation has taken on the community. “It’s been a lot and overwhelming for a lot of the B-girls on the scene because we’ve never had this type of exposure before,” she told the Guardian.
“We hope this attention can eventually lead to greater support for the B-girl scene here, but right now, it’s just devastating.”
Catherine Tsang
The internet responds
As expected, social media didn’t hold back either.
Gunn’s awkward and unconventional style was compared to an overexcited child’s playground antics, with memes flooding the internet within hours of her elimination. One particularly brutal meme featured a screenshot of Gunn’s “kangaroo hop,” a move that quickly became the go-to template for those looking to ridicule her attempt at originality.
Her outfit, too, wasn’t spared, drawing comparisons to Billie Eilish’s baggy wardrobe, but without the intended cool factor.
Even her academic background couldn’t shield her from the onslaught. Discovering that Gunn is a lecturer on dance and gender politics at Macquarie University only fuelled the fire, sparking debates about the value of academia and whether it had any place in the gritty world of breaking.
Will breaking be in the LA 2028 Olympics?
Breaking will not return for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The decision was made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2022 to exclude breaking from the LA Games, focusing instead on other sports like baseball, cricket, and flag football.
It remains to be seen if breaking will return for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.
