Olympic Judge Breaks Silence On Aussie Breakdancer Raygun's Routine

Australian breaker Raygun, born Rachael Gunn, hit the Olympic stage in Paris for the first time, but it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing.

The competitive breaker ended up on the losing side of all three of her breaking, also known as breakdancing, matches, with a score of 54-0. Her performances—featuring moves like toe touches while lying on one side, sliding across the floor, and a kangaroo-inspired jump—were met with widespread ridicule online.

Raygun's breakdance routine has exploded on social media, with several videos of her 2024 Paris Olympics performance going viral.

“Was that a routine? That was cringe factor 100%,” one user wrote via X. “What a ridiculous ‘sport’ to have at the Olympics. At least I got a laugh at the divers back-flopping.”

"My five-year-old niece after she says 'watch this!'" another mocked.

"But my god, Aussie Olympic Team uniform designers did their athlete Raygun dirty, " a third said, commenting on her fit. "She’s giving cringey soccer mom driving a minivan with juice boxes energy. Funniest thing I’ve seen in a hot minute."

Despite getting roasted online for her 2024 Paris Olympics performance, Australian breaker Raygun is now being praised for her courage.

An Olympic judge has stepped up to defend her, praising her for stepping into the spotlight and showing guts on the dance floor.

“It’s all about originality and it’s all about bringing something new to the table and representing your country or region,” chief breaking judge at the Olympics Martin Gilian said, per CNN. “This is exactly what Raygun was doing, she got inspired by her surroundings, which in this case, for example, was a kangaroo. She created some original moves which could be maybe funny or entertaining for others, but for us, she basically represented breaking and hip hop."

"She was trying to be original and bring something new to the table," he added. "From our perspective, that was nothing really shocking.”

Anna Meares, former pro cyclist and Australia’s chef de mission, is stepping up to defend Raygun after her much-talked-about Olympic performance. Meares didn’t just offer support—she also shed light on Raygun’s inspiring backstory, giving fans a deeper look into the journey that led her to the Paris Olympics.

“If you don’t know Rachael’s story, in 2008, she was locked in a room crying being involved in a male-dominated sport as the only woman," Meares said, according to CNN. "And it took great courage for her to continue on and fight for her opportunity to participate in a sport that she loved."

“I absolutely love her courage," she added of Raygun. "I love her character, and I feel very disappointed for her that she has come under the attack that she has."

Speaking to reporters, the Olympic breaker made it clear: “I represent art,” adding that she knows her unique style might not always score points with the judges.

“What I wanted to do was come out here and do something new and different and creative – that’s my strength, my creativity,” she said, per Us Weekly. “I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best, the dynamic and the power moves, so I wanted to move differently, be artistic and creative because how many chances do you get in a lifetime to do that on an international stage?”

She later took to social media to clap back at the haters who have commented on her attire. “Looking forward to the same level of scrutiny on what the b-boys wear tomorrow,” she shared via Instagram.

The online backlash didn’t rattle Raygun one bit. The Aussie breaker proudly represented her country at the Olympics, even though she didn’t score any points against her opponents.

"It is such an honor and a privilege to be, you know, one of sixteen women from around the world competing in breaking’s debut at the Olympics," Gunn said in an Instagram video, per People Magazine. "I hope that seeing breaking at the Olympics inspires a whole new generation of breakers."