A
Set small text size
A
Setting the default text size
A
Set large text size
Anna Meares, head of the Australian Olympic team, has sharply criticised the criticism of Rachael “Raygun” Gunn after the breakdancer’s bizarre performance in Paris was taken up by an enthusiastic audience.
Gunn, a 36-year-old Australian university lecturer, lost all three of her round-robin matches on Friday by a combined score of 54-0.
Olympic Games Paris 2024. Every event. Ad-free. Live and on demand. 4K. 8 exclusive international channels from Eurosport, Viacom18 and Sky NZ only on Stan Sports.
A video of her performance – which included her doing kangaroo jumps – was widely mocked online, and Meares suggested that some of the attacks were due to misogyny.
“I love Rachael and I think what happened on social media with trolls and keyboard warriors and that those comments got airtime was really disappointing,” Meares told reporters.
“Raygun is an absolutely beloved member of this Olympic team. She has represented the Olympic team and the Olympic spirit with great enthusiasm.
“And I love her courage. I love her character and I’m very disappointed for her that she was attacked like that.”
Meares said the criticism of Gunn’s performance and appearance was in line with the kind of misogynistic abuse that female athletes have suffered over the last century as they fought for their place in the sporting world.
“In 2008, she was locked in a room crying because she was the only woman playing a male-dominated sport. It took a lot of courage for her to keep going and fight for her chance to play the sport she loved,” said the former Olympic cycling champion.
“This has earned her the Olympic qualification for here in Paris. She is the best breakdancer we have for Australia.
“If you look at history and see what we as athletes have experienced in terms of criticism, denigration, condemnation and simple comments like ‘they shouldn’t exist.’
“One hundred years ago, Australia sent a team of 37 athletes to the 1924 Paris Games. None of them were women. One hundred years later, there are 256 women represented.”
Meares added: “For someone to win in sport, there has to be someone who doesn’t win in sport. And the fact is that Rachael didn’t get a point yesterday, but she did her best.
“It takes a lot of courage to step into a sporting environment and try it… How can we continue to encourage our children to do it when we are willing to condemn our athletes who do it on the world stage?”
“I am very grateful to Rachael because I believe that what she has done for breakdancers in future generations will not be appreciated for decades to come.”
While Raygun was initially derided online, sentiment has now changed and Australians are showing their support. You can expect to see Gunn on your TV screens and radio shows in the coming months.
Former footballer Craig Foster said Raygun had a good chance of winning national awards.
“Dr. Raygun is an Australian legend,” he wrote on X
“We dance to our own rhythm. And bring marsupial energy to every competition. She is a national treasure. Give her an AO.”
Gunn is Australia’s leading breakdance dancer and an arts researcher at Macquarie University in Sydney, specialising in the cultural politics of breakdancing.
She secured her place at the Games as Australia’s B-Girl delegate after winning the Oceania Breaking Championships last year.
“I was the underdog from the beginning,” she told Channel 9 after her performance.
“I never had a chance of beating those B-girls at what they do, so I did what I do best and went out there and showed myself, my creativity, my style, a bit of Australian character so I could try and make my mark on that world stage.”
