- A young French girl mocks an Australian teenager
- Breakdancing has been in the spotlight in Paris
Australian student breaker Jeff ‘J-Attack’ Dunne was the subject of a cruel taunt from French rival Danis ‘Dany Dann’ Civil at the Paris Olympics, who appeared to mock the size of his manhood.
Dunne, 16, lost all three of his break battles on Sunday, but it was his second battle with Civil, 36, that caught the eye.
With the Australian completely defeated, Civil performed a move in which he imitated pulling down Dunne’s pants.
Civil then walked away pointing at Dunne’s groin and laughing. He then raised his index finger and thumb, implying that something was missing below his belt.
The Frenchman later won the silver medal, while Canadian B-Boy Phil Wizard took gold, bringing the dancesport competition to a close.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Olympic chief has slammed critics of breakdancer Rachael Gunn, calling them a typical example of the misogynistic abuse female athletes suffer.
Chef de mission Anna Meares says Gunn should be applauded for her bravery, rather than ridiculed for her performance at the Paris Games.
Gunn, known as Raygun, failed to score any points when breaking made its Olympic debut in Paris on Friday.
Jeff ‘J-Attack’ Dunne received a cruel taunt from Danis ‘Dany Dann’ Civil at the Olympics
Dunne, 16, lost all three of her breaking battles on Sunday in Paris.
Since then, Gunn has come under fire not only for his acting but also for his appearance, both online and in some traditional media.
He hopped like a kangaroo, sometimes looked like a T-Rex, and rolled around on the ground in a disjointed manner that both confused and amused Australians returning home to see the sport for the first time.
Gunn hit back at his critics, criticising the IOC for ruling out the sport for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
“I love Rachael,” Meares told reporters Saturday.
‘What’s happened on social media with the trolls and the keyboard warriors, and taking those comments and giving them air time, has been really disappointing.
Breakdancing has been in the spotlight in Paris following a performance by Dunne’s teammate.
Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn’s groundbreaking routines sent her viral for all the wrong reasons after she failed to score a single point when the sport made its Olympic debut.
‘Raygun is an absolutely beloved member of this Olympic team.
‘She has represented the Olympic team, the Olympic spirit, with great enthusiasm.
“I love her bravery. I love her character and I feel very disappointed for her, for having been the target of the attacks that she has suffered.”
Gunn, a 36-year-old Australian university professor, lost all three of her round-robin battles by a combined score of 54-0.
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She works for Macquarie University in Sydney as a creative arts researcher, specialising in “the cultural politics of breakdancing” and also holds a PhD in the sport.
“In 2008, she was locked in a room crying, participating in a male-dominated sport as the only woman,” Meares said.
‘And it took a lot of courage for her to keep going and fight for her chance to participate in a sport she loved.
‘That led her to win the Olympic qualifying event to be here in Paris.
“She’s the best breakdancer we have in Australia.”
