The viral Australian breakdancer Raygun (AKA Rachael Gunn) has responded to critics of her Olympics performance.
Raygun went viral after she competed in the breaking competition at the Paris Olympics last Friday, and was awarded zero points by the judges. Her unexpected moves have been meme-ified to no end, and people online have been very, very critical.
Speaking to reporters during a press conference on Saturday, Rachael said: “I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best — their power moves. What I bring is creativity” (via ESPN).
She continued: “All of my moves are original. 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.”
Anna Meares, the Chef de Mission for Team Australia, also defended Rachael, and condemned online commenters who have targeted her. “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,” Anna said.
“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.”
One X user wrote: “I’d like to personally thank Raygun for making millions of people worldwide think ‘huh, maybe I can make the Olympics too'”
Another said: “I could live all my life and never come up with anything as funny as Raygun, the 36-year-old Australian Olympic breakdancer”
“The fact that RayGun has a Ph.D in breakdancing is its own commentary on academia vs real world expertise,” added another. For context, Rachael holds a PhD in Cultural Studies, and her thesis had the title “Deterritorializing gender in Sydney’s breakdancing scene: a B-girl’s experience of B-boying.”