Australian political leaders have come to the defence of Rachael Gunn as the Olympic team closes ranks behind the breakdancer under heavy criticism.
The 36-year-old, known as Raygun, failed to score any points when breaking made its Olympic debut in Paris on Friday.
The Macquarie University professor’s view of the performance sparked a stir on social media and raised questions about the validity of the sport.
Back home, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Gunn when asked about criticism of his routine.
“Raygun got a chance, good for her, and a big shout out to her,” he told reporters in Adelaide on Sunday.
“It’s part of the Australian tradition that people are encouraged to try it. She has tried it representing our country, and that’s a good thing.
“Whether they won gold medals or did their best, that’s all we ask. What really matters is participation.”
Breakdancing has been removed from the programme for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with no guarantee it will return to Brisbane in 2032 or later.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has broken his silence on the groundbreaking Raygun
The 36-year-old has been widely ridiculed following her disastrous routine at the Olympics.
But Albanese praised the university professor for his participation in the Paris Games.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said she had enjoyed watching the sport and suggested Raygun was already a champion, someone chosen to represent his nation on the world stage.
“To quote Taylor (Swift), let’s let the haters hate and just celebrate the success of our Olympians,” she said in Melbourne.
Head of mission Anna Meares similarly backed Gunn, condemning comments from “trolls and keyboard warriors”.
“I love her character and I feel very disappointed in her for the attack she has received,” she said.
Gunn lost all three of his round-robin battles by a combined score of 54-0 and admitted after the event that he couldn’t compete athletically with the tricks and spins of his younger opponents.
“What I wanted to do was come here and do something new, different and creative – that’s my strength, my creativity,” he said.
Gunn has published a PhD thesis entitled ‘Deterritorialising gender in the Sydney breakdancing scene: A B-girl’s experience of B-boying’.
The thesis questioned why so few female participants were part of a male-dominated scene, but spoke of sport as a “space that embraces difference”.