Raygun Elsa/Getty Images
Australian breakdancer Raygun is speaking out after her 2024 Paris Olympics performance sparked cheating allegations and viewer backlash.
“Hi everyone, Raygun here. I just want to start by thanking all the people who have supported me,” The breakdancer whose real name is Rachael Gunn, began a Thursday, August 15, Instagram video. “I really appreciate the positivity and 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, which has frankly been pretty devastating. While I went out there and I had fun, I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off, preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all, truly.”
The athlete, 36, went on to state that she was “honored to have been a part of the Australian Olympic Team and to be part of Breaking’s Olympic debut,” calling the accomplishments of her fellow Olympians “phenomenal.”
Raygun proceeded to address addressed “the allegations and misinformation floating around” her Olympic appearance, asking fans to “refer to the recent statement made by the [Australian Olympic Committee], as well as the posts on the AUSBreaking Instagram page, as well as the WDSF Breaking for Gold page.”
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Raygun went viral for her unconventional breaking routines while competing at the Paris Games, sparking an outpouring of negative opinions from viewers after losing all three of her Olympic Breaking matches.
She fired back against the idea that she scored zero points for her routine in her Instagram upload, telling fans that “there are actually no points in breaking.”
“What I wanted to do was come out here and do something new and different and creative – that’s my strength, my creativity,” she told reporters after being ousted from the Olympics. “I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best, the dynamic and the power moves, so I wanted to move differently, be artistic and creative because how many chances do you get that in a lifetime to do that on an international stage.”
The Olympics chief breaking judge, Martin Gilian (a.k.a. MGbility), praised Raygun’s “originality” while talking to reporters, per CNN. “She created some original moves which could be maybe funny or entertaining for others, but for us, she basically represented breaking and hip hop,” he stated. “She was trying to be original and bring something new to the table. From our perspective, that was nothing really shocking.”
In her Instagram video, Raygun shared, “If you want to see how the judges thought I compared to my opponents, you can actually see the comparison percentages across the five criteria on Olympics.com. All the results are there.”
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Following her performance, Raygun was accused of cheating her way onto Team Australia. A group of fans even started a petition against Raygun, claiming she “manipulated the selection process to her own advantage” and was selected over more deserving dancers. “Australia must do better by its athletes and ensure that the principles of fairness, transparency, and integrity are upheld in all aspects of Olympic selection,” the group wrote.
As of Thursday, the petition has over 57,000 signatures of its 75,000 goal. Us Weekly reached out to Raygun for comment.
Raygun Elsa/Getty Images
AUSBreaking wrote in a Tuesday, August 13, statement that Raygun fairly earned her Olympics spot, writing, “Their selection was based solely on their performance in their battles on that day.” The organization condemned “the global online harassment and bullying of Raygun,” stating, “We stand in solidarity with Raygun.”
Following the Paris Olympics, Raygun noted that she’s enjoying some “pre-planned downtime” in Europe. As she enjoys her time off, she is asking people “to stop harassing my family, my friends, the Australian Breaking community and the broader street dance community.”
“Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this, so I ask you to please respect their privacy,” she urged in her Instagram video. I’ll be happy to answer more questions on my return to Australia. Thanks, everyone.”
