Australian officials explained their choice of Raygun for the Olympics, despite her zero-point performance.
The 2024 Paris Olympics is set to showcase various sports, including breakdancing, which has garnered significant attention.
Among the athletes selected to represent Australia is Raygun, a breakdancer who recently faced controversy over a zero-point performance.
Despite this, Australian officials have come forward to explain their decision to choose her for the Olympic team.
Olympic breakdancer Raygun scored zero points for her performance
Raygun is a PhD holder in Cultural Studies and a lecturer at Macquarie University.
She drew special attention with her unique breakdancing style at the Paris Olympics, characterized by kangaroo-like hops and snake-like floor movements, among other unconventional moves.
However, after three rounds of competition, she only received a score of 0, though the judges described her routines as “innovative.”
“Breaking is all about originality and bringing something new to the table and representing your country or region,” Judge Martin Gilian commented.
“This is exactly what Raygun was doing.
She got inspired by her surroundings, which in this case, for example, was a kangaroo.”
Olympic breakdancer Raygun shared her performance meaning
Reflecting on her controversial performance, Gunn stated: “All 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.”
Australian officials explain their choice of breakdancer Raygun for 2024 Olympics
In explaining the decision to select Raygun, Australian sports officials explained that the selection process for Raygun took place over two days.
It was open to all interested participants in the Oceania region.
They followed the regulations of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) and the standards of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to ensure a fair and transparent outcome.
The judging panel consisted of nine respected international referees, a head judge, and a chairperson to oversee the competition.
They used the same scoring system as the Paris Olympics.
These judges are highly regarded within the international breakdancing community.
Eventually, Rachael Gunn (Raygun) and Jeff Dunne were selected as the top performers through this process.
They earned the spots to represent Australia in breakdancing at the Paris Olympics. The selection was based solely on their competition performances.
Before the Olympics, Raygun used her position as Australia’s representative in breakdancing to advocate for the sport in the media.
She highlighted its history, artistic and athletic values, and cultural origins.
The sports agency has also condemned the global online harassment and bullying directed at Raygun.
They acknowledged that the pressure to perform at the Olympic stage is immense, especially when facing fierce competition within her group, and they stand in support of Raygun.
Social media reactions
On social media, numerous comments mentioned Raygun’s zero-point performance.
Some criticized her, questioning her selection for the Olympics, meanwhile, others defended her, saying that one performance should not define her talent.
They didn’t have anyone else so they thought they’d have a laugh, one user said.
Her break dancing was original? I saw the same moves from a six year old at the mall having a temper tantrum! The second user commented.
She got picked because she and her husband rigged the regional qualifiers. There are better dancers than her in Australia.
Her husband “claims” that she practices 3 to 4 hours a day. If that is so, then they should show these videos, the third user stated.
I question a lot of things from these Olympics, another wrote.
My kid did that exact same performance when I picked them up drunk from a party once, someone said.