Olympic spectators were left baffled by Australian athlete Raygun’s performance in Paris on Friday afternoon.
The 36-year-old, whose real name is Rachael Gunn, went viral after writhing awkwardly on the dance floor, displaying a far lower level of skill than many of her competitors.
However, images have emerged of The performance that secured Raygun’s qualification for the 2024 Games.
A video posted last November showed her competing against another breaker named Molly at the WDSF Oceania Breaking Championships.
Dressed in a pair of baggy jeans and a burgundy jacket, she showed off her skills as she twirled and twisted on the floor.
Team Australia’s B-Girl Raygun competes during the B-Girls Round Robin
New footage has emerged of Raygun qualifying for the Olympics after his 0-3 performance
She won the WDSF Oceania Breaking Championship in 2023 ahead of the Paris Games.
Raygun competed in three qualifying rounds on Friday, and the Australian ultimately failed to score points against any of her three rivals.
She is, however, Australia’s most prominent breakdancer and a creative arts researcher specialising in “the cultural politics of breakdancing” at Macquarie University in Sydney.
Shortly after her performance on the world stage, she broke her silence by sharing a cryptic message on Instagram.
Posting a message from the ‘Breaking for Gold’ account, she quoted herself as saying: ‘Don’t be afraid to be different. Go out and present yourself, you never know where that will take you.’
While many mocked Raygun’s “embarrassing” performance, she also gained many new fans who praised her for her determination in competing against athletes more than half her age.
“I could live my whole life and never come up with something as funny as Raygun, the 36-year-old Australian Olympic breakdancer,” one X-user wrote alongside a clip of the Olympian.
The 36-year-old Australian quickly went viral on social media for her unusual display at the Olympic Games.
Shortly after, she took to social media and shared a cryptic message for her 4,000 followers.
Gunn gestures alongside Team USA’s Logistx during the dance round robin event in Paris
“I’ve never seen breaking before, but I can already tell that Raygun has no chance at this event,” another added.
“Raygun breaking looks like I’m 5 years old and I’m like ‘look what I can do,'” a third joked.
Others praised the Australian for her confidence and courage.
“Kudos to Raygun for having the courage to come out,” suggested one user. “But this was the biggest shame I’ve ever felt in my life.”
“Raygun from Australia is actually my Olympic hero,” added another.
Meanwhile, a sixth user wrote: “Raygun I’m sure you’re a sweet lady but man,” with a laughing-crying emoji.
