Bad on purpose? 'Kangaroo hopping' Australian breakdancer sets social media on fire

Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn made the inaugural breaking event at the Olympics memorable, but not in the way she would have wanted. Also known as Raygun, she has gone viral after failing to get even a single point in the competition. People have been mocking her ever since she did a "kangaroo move" at the event. But she isn't bothered by all the ridicule coming her way. Talking about her performance, Gunn told reporters, "I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best: their power moves. What I bring is creativity."

"Creativity is really important to me. I go out there and I show my artistry. Sometimes it speaks to the judges, and sometimes it doesn't. I do my thing, and it represents art. That is what it is about," Gunn added.

Raygun put on some weird moves on the stage, flailing her arms, moving around on the floor on her shoulders like a child and spinning on her head. At one point she lay on her side and reached for her toes on both sides. But her most amusing move was her jumping around like a kangaroo, which people cannot get enough of. She has lit up social media with her moves, with people expressing disbelief at her reaching the Olympics.

Social media reacts toRachael Gunn

“It’s surprising that Raygun from Australia is the top breaker. The kangaroo move — how did she make it this far?! She should’ve swapped the kangaroo for a banana to really stand out. What is this? Seriously, is breakdancing really an Olympic event?” a user posted on X.

Another user compared her moves to actress Julia Stiles’ in the 2001 film Save the Last Dance.

“I want Raygun, the 36-year-old Australian breakdancer possessed by the spirit of Julia Stiles in Save the Last Dance, to know that I am now her biggest fan and she should never stop doing whatever it is she’s trying to do,” they wrote on X.

Others were shocked to see breaking as an event at the Olympics and believe that it might have been a parody.

“If this Raygun lady turns out to be a comedian who somehow blagged her way through qualifiers and all the way to the Olympics, and was bad on purpose, it will be one of the greatest bits ever achieved,” a user said.

Participants in the breaking category were expected to bust out dance moves as a DJ played music. Head judge for the breaking competition, Martin Gilian, defended Gunn, saying it was all about being original.

"Breaking is all about originality and bringing something new to the table and representing your country or region," he said. "This is exactly what Raygun was doing. She got inspired by her surroundings, which in this case, for example, was a kangaroo."

The gold in the breaking category was bagged by Japan’s Ami Yuasa, while Lithuania’s Dominika Banevič and China’s Liu Qingyi took silver and bronze, respectively.