New images have emerged of the Australian breakdancer who lost out to Rachael Gunn for a spot at the Paris Olympics.
Gunn, better known as Raygun, became an overnight sensation after her performance at the inaugural women’s breakdancing competition at the Olympics.
Raygun imitated a kangaroo, a snake and performed the sprinkler dance move on his way to a measly score of zero points out of a possible total of 54.
But it has undoubtedly become the story of the Games, with figures such as Adele and Anthony Albanese taking part in a routine that has divided opinion.
And now, fans have discovered a clip of Raygun’s compatriot Molly Chapman being beaten by the 36-year-old university professor in the Olympic qualifying process.
Chapman was selected along with Gunn by the ABA, now known as Ausbreaking, to participate in the Paris qualifiers last year.
The pair flew to Belgium for the first World Championship qualifier, but neither managed to secure a place after finishing 79th (Chapman) and 64th (Gunn) out of a field of 80 entrants.
The Australians received another opportunity to qualify at the WDSF Oceania Championships held at Sydney Town Hall last October.
The Australian breakdancer who lost to Rachael Gunn has gone viral on social media
A clip of Holly Chapman breaking down has racked up more than four million views online
Entries were open to the public and the competition featured a panel of 10 professional judges.
Gunn defeated Chapman, along with two other competitors, in the final round to win the event and seal his spot in Paris.
Chapman was given a third chance to qualify at a series held in Shanghai and Budapest earlier this year but failed to secure a place.
But fans believe he would have fared better than Raygun after a clip of the smash hit racked up more than four million views on X.
“This is Molly Chapman, the break dancer who lost to Raygun in the Olympic qualifying event,” said Marea Hannah Whitley, who posted the video online. “Imagine that.”
“Not great, but still 10,000 times better than Raygun,” one fan responded.
Another said: “She can actually breakdance, how did she lose?”
A third fan joked: “I mean she has a PhD. What credentials does Molly have other than being a better breakdancer?”
Fans claimed that Chapman, who lost to Raygun in qualifying, is in fact the better breaker.
But Chapman stood by Raygun and said the qualifying process was fair.
For what it’s worth, Chapman has strongly supported his fellow breakdancer, posting a statement from Ausbreaking that defended his selection of Raygun with the comment: “Truth/facts.”
Raygun did not return to Australia with her Olympic teammates on Wednesday, as the 36-year-old opted to go on holiday with her husband and coach Samuel Free.
Australian champion Jessica Fox expressed her sympathy for Raygun and revealed the online attack has taken its toll.
“I spoke to her, it’s devastating for her,” he told the The Sydney Morning Herald.
“To see the cost… she’s human and it’s huge what she’s been through in the last week. She’s definitely been feeling it.
“There’s a human being behind all of that, and people are so quick to be horrible. She doesn’t deserve that.”
The Australian team did everything they could to support Gunn during the wave of hate, with videos emerging of teammates dancing alongside the breakdancer ahead of the Games’ closing ceremony.
“It was special for us to be able to support her at the closing ceremony and show our appreciation for her as a valued member of our team,” Fox said.
Several other Australian Olympians have expressed their support for Gunn, including swimmer Zac Stubblety-Cook.
He described the reviews as “disappointing” and said it was “amazing” to see Gunn smile during the ceremony.
Gunn has been the subject of countless memes and videos online ridiculing his Olympic performance.
Raygun became an overnight sensation at the Olympics following her performance.
She danced like a kangaroo and a snake in a routine that paid homage to Australia, but has since been mercilessly mocked online.
However, that negativity has also manifested itself in the form of accusations that she did not deserve to be on the Olympic team and that she purposely missed the competition for the sake of an academic study.
Criticism of Gunn’s performance even reached television, when late-night host Jimmy Fallon used his Tonight Show to savagely mock her.
Fallon played a clip of Gunn’s performance before comedian Rachel Dratch came on stage to mimic the routine.
Australian Olympic Committee chief Matt Carroll told the outlet that Gunn had been offered support services in Paris, which will continue once he returns to Australia.
“Someone is going to come first and someone is going to come last. But everyone is doing their best and they are extremely dedicated. I think they should be respected, regardless of what happens,” he said.
Mr Carroll added that the intense scrutiny of Gunn was “unnecessary” and dismissed any rumours that she had failed to qualify adequately for the Games.
