There were plenty of moments at the 2024 Olympics that got people talking — from Flavor Flav’s role on the U.S. Women’s Water Polo Team to the fabricated controversy surrounding Algerian boxer Imane Khelif — but perhaps none more so than the internet sensation known as Raygun. The Australian breakout competitor went viral with his performance, and the memes that followed spread like wildfire.
But while Raygun’s (real name Rachael Gunn) spotlight is mostly well-intentioned, the Macquarie University breaking researcher has also faced her fair share of online bullying, so the 36-year-old took to Instagram in a video on Thursday to clarify a few points and ask people to respect her privacy.
“Hello everyone, I'm Raygun,” Gunn said at the beginning of the clip. “I just want to start off by saying thank you to everyone who's supported me, I really appreciate the positivity and I'm happy that I could bring some joy into your lives, that's what I was hoping for. I didn't realize that it would also open the door to so much hate, which was obviously pretty devastating.”
“While I went out and had fun, I took it very seriously. I worked my ass off to prepare for the Olympics and really did the best I could,” she continued. “I'm honoured to be part of the Australian Olympic team and to be part of the Olympic debut of breaking. What the other athletes have achieved is truly remarkable.”
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Gunn made a statement regarding the “claims and misinformation” and asked viewers to look at the latest statement from the Australian Olympic Committee, posts on the Ausbreaking Instagram account and the WDSF Breaking for Gold website.
The allegations against him include deliberately trying to earn a “zero score” and manipulating the selection process to qualify for the Olympics over more talented and qualified break dancers. A petition, which has since been deleted, was even started to hold Gunn accountable for “unethical behavior.”
“Fun fact for you, no point in breaking it down,” he explained. “If you want to see how the judges compare me to my competitors, you can see the comparison percentages in the five criteria on Olympics.com; all the results are there.”
Gunn said he would be in Europe for a few weeks for a planned recovery period, but asked the public to stop harassing his family, friends and the Australian news community.
“Everyone has been through a lot because of this incident, so I ask that you please respect their privacy,” he said, adding that he would be happy to answer more questions when he returns to Australia.
Hopefully, those will be the last words Raygun has to say about the backlash to his performance. And while Breaking won’t be part of the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, perhaps Gunn will be able to represent his country once again when the Olympics head to Brisbane in 2032.
