Rachael “Raygun” Gunn Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
The Australian breaking organization AUSBreak is defending Olympic breaker Raygun from allegations that she cheated to land a spot at the 2024 Paris games.
Raygun, 36 — real name Rachael Gunn — sparked controversy after her performance at the Olympics earlier this month, where she lost her three breaking matches by 54-0.
In a statement released Tuesday, August 12, AUSBreak declared that the selection process for Australia’s breaking team aligned with International Olympic Committee standards to “ensure a fair and transparent outcome.”
The group stated that the judges at the October 2023 tryouts used “the same judging system at the Paris Games and trained to uphold the highest standards of impartiality. These judges are all highly respected in their respective communities and in the international Breaking scene.”
“Ultimately, Rachael Gunn and Jeff Dunne emerged as the top performers in exactly the same process, securing their spots to represent Australia in Paris,” the message continued. “Their selection was based solely on their performance in their battles on that day. In the leadup to Paris, Raygun used her platform as the Australian Breaking representative to consistently advocate in the media for Breaking’s history, artistic and athletic values, and its cultural origins.”
In closing, AUSBreak doubled down on its support for Raygun, saying, “We condemn the global online harassment and bullying of Raygun. The pressure to perform on the Olympic stage is immense, especially against the opponents in her particular group. We stand in solidarity with Raygun.”
Meanwhile, Raygun’s critics are requesting that she be held accountable for her viral routine, in which the athlete seemingly did toe touches as she laid on one side and slid across the floor.
A petition created on Sunday, August 11, accuses Raygun and Anna Meares, Australia’s chef de mission, of rigging “the selection process to her own advantage. Despite the clear talent and qualification of other outstanding female breakdancers like G Clef and Holy Molly, they were unfairly overlooked,” the petition states. “The NT Youlong Boys, a group of incredibly talented and underprivileged youth from the Northern Territory, were denied crucial funding by Dr. Gunn to attend the qualifiers — a decision that directly impacted their chance to showcase their skills on a national stage.”
Amid the outrage, Raygun’s teammate has come to her defense. “All I know is she represented hard,” Jeff “J Attack” Dunne told the Herald Sun on Monday, August 12. “She has been the leading breaker in Australia for the women and I acknowledge her and respect her 100 percent.”
