She may not be an Olympic champion, but Rachel Gunn definitely has her fans.
The Australian breaking girl, also known as Raygun, underscored her originality on the world breaking stage with a kangaroo-like hopping performance at the sport’s Olympic debut in Paris on Friday.
But the 36-year-old university lecturer’s unconventional performance did not impress the judges, who did not award her a single point in three battles against younger competitors from the United States, France and Lithuania.
A video of her leap went viral online, sparking online ridicule and speculation that the whole thing was faked, but Gunn was undeterred, celebrating by re-enacting the Kangaroo Hop with fellow Australian Olympians ahead of the Closing Ceremony on Sunday.
“I wasn’t going to beat them with the dynamics and power moves that they do well,” Gunn, who has a doctorate in cultural studies and has studied breaking and hip-hop culture, told reporters on Friday.
“So I wanted to do something different, be more artistic and creative, and how many times in your lifetime do you get a chance to do that on an international stage,” said Gunn, who won last year’s Oceania Breaking Championships to qualify for the Olympics.
Gunn received a zero for her performance, which went viral online. Elsa/Getty Images File
Gunn paid homage to his home country by opting for slower movements rather than the athletic twists, spins and freezes shown by his peers, and by wearing the green and yellow Australian Olympic tracksuit rather than the streetwear favoured by his rivals.
Despite the criticism, Gunn’s performance has also garnered huge support from the international breaking community and from those who have praised her originality, including the Prime Minister of Australia.
“It’s fantastic that she’s taking on the challenge and putting the tracksuit on,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a radio interview on Monday. “It’s quintessentially Australian.”
Olympic breaking referee Martin Gillian also defended Gunn, saying she “tried her best” but “her level may not have been as high as some of the other competitors.”
“Breaking is all about originality, bringing something new and representing your country or region,” Gillian, also known as MGibility, told reporters on Sunday, according to the Associated Press. “And that’s exactly what Raegan was doing. She took inspiration from things around her, in this case kangaroos.”
Gunn also received support from singer Adele, who stopped a concert in Munich on Friday to say it was her favorite moment at the Paris Olympics.
Others have expressed concern about the abusive comments Mr Gunn has received, with Anna Mears, head of Australia’s delegation to the Paris Olympics, saying the online criticism was “really disappointing”.
“It takes a lot of courage to go out and try any sport,” she said.
The World DanceSport Federation, breaking’s international governing body, said it had offered her mental health support.
“We support her as a federation,” Secretary General Sergei Nifontov said, according to the Associated Press.
Breaking contestants are judged on creativity, individuality, technique, versatility, musicality and vocabulary, which refers to the number and variety of moves.
“Breaking has always been about pushing the boundaries of sporting art,” says Claire Warden, professor of performance and physical culture at Loughborough University in the UK.
“It’s always been about self-expression too,” she says. “Here’s someone enjoying their art form, and it’s hard not to love it.”
Breaking was added to the Olympics this year in an effort to appeal to a younger audience — rapper Snoop Dogg, NBC’s Olympic correspondent, opened the event on Friday with his hit “Drop It Like It’s Hot” — but it may never return to the Olympics.
Breaking is not included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, but the sports federation says it is lobbying to have it included in the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane, Australia.
Gunn himself responded to the criticism, sharing an Instagram post from the Australian breaking team quoting himself saying, “Don’t be afraid to be different.”
“Go out there and represent yourself,” Gunn was quoted as saying. “Who knows where it’ll take you.”