Olympic Breakdancer Responds To Backlash From Viral Performance

BYGabriel Bras Nevares9.4K Views
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Australian Breakdancer Rachael Gunn Portrait Session
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 17: Australian Olympic breaking athlete Rachael 'Raygun' Gunn poses during a portrait session in the Sydney central business district on April 17, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. Gunn is representing Australia as a B-Girl after qualifying for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games in Women's Breaking on it's Olympic debut. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Australian breakdancer Raygun was the talk of Twitter for a hot second, and for all the wrong reasons. How did she react to all the vitriol?

The 2024 Olympics were very special for a lot of reasons, including the debut of one of hip-hop's staples, breakdancing, as an event. While the decision to omit it from the 2028 Games is a sad one, it might make sense to some casual consumers thanks to one particular B-Girl this year. One of Australia's representatives, Rachael Gunn AKA Raygun, lost all three of her one-on-one contests with a total tally of 54-0. But more than the loss itself, the online reaction to her performances was so mocking, disgusted, and critical that she spoke to ESPN about it.

"What I wanted was [to] come out here and do something new and different and creative," Raygun expressed. "That’s my strength, my creativity. 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 in a lifetime to do that on an international stage?" Compared to other Olympic happenings, this was a pretty controversial moment overall, especially for the hip-hop community.

Raygun's Viral Breakdancing At The 2024 Olympic Games

"I love Rachael, and I think that what has occurred on social media with trolls and keyboard warriors, and taking those comments and giving them airtime, has been really disappointing," the Australia team's Chef de Mission Anna Meares said of Raygun's performance, which Snoop Doog witnessed along with everything else at the Games. "Raygun is an absolutely loved member of this Olympic team. She has represented the Olympic team, the Olympic spirit with great enthusiasm. And I absolutely love her courage. I love her character, and I feel very disappointed for her, that she has come under the attack that she has."

Meanwhile, breakdancing continues to define a lot of hip-hop culture, and they still celebrate it as an integral part of the art form and community. Sure, it doesn't have the same relevance and presence it used to have, but rappers like Common still get teased for their B-Boy moves every once in a while. It looks like the Olympics won't be the one carrying the torch for the culture on a grand, global scale. So let's find the next big breakdancing moment, let Raygun redeem herself and her art, and give more shine to the culture that birthed this tradition and the cultures that appreciate and respect it skillfully and tastefully.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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