Melbourne
Australian Olympian Rachael "Raygun" Gunn has claimed that she is the country's best breakdancing girl despite the flood of criticism she faced in the aftermath of her viral performance in Paris.
Raygun said her 'record speaks' for itself and that she cannot control the reaction of others.
“I think my record speaks to that,” said Raygun in her first sit-down interview with Network 10 when quizzed about her qualifications and performance at the Olympics.
When asked about the disapproval from the breaking community, with some claiming she had set back the progression of the sport, Gunn said:
“It is really sad to hear those criticisms and I am very sorry for the backlash that the community has experienced, but I can’t control how people react."
Gunn's performance also inspired a sketch on American comedian Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show to which she had an indifferent reaction.
“I don’t know whether to hug him or yell at him because – what a platform he ended up giving me, honestly. I haven’t actually seen the sketch because I don’t think I’m in a place yet to watch it, but I will watch it at some point," she said.
Judges made the right call here because what was that move lol #Olympics #Breakdancing pic.twitter.com/sXAs9AdHjX
— MⓞNK BLOODY P?s (@MonkeyBlood) August 9, 2024
Watch | Olympic viral break dancer 'Raygun' slams trolls
Raygun participated in three Olympic battles and lost all of them. Wearing a green tracksuit, she delivered a rather eccentric performance which included kangaroo-inspired hopping as a dance move which instantly led to a sea of memes on social media.
Post the performance, she appealed to the media in a video posted on her Instagram account to stop harassing her family and friends.
"I didn't realise that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating," she said. "Well, 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."
Breakdancing, introduced for the first time in the Olympics history as a sport, received negative reactions from viewers, partly due to Raygun's performance.
In the aftermath, accusations were levelled that Raygun had manipulated the selection process by setting up her own governing body where her husband judged her qualification trial.
(With inputs from agencies)