A political activist has criticised Olympic breakdancer Rachael Gunn, saying her selection represents “whiteness” in Australian sport.
Questions have been raised ever since Gunn, also known as Raygun, took to the stage at the Paris Olympics on Saturday with a performance that failed to garner a single point from the judges.
While many Australians, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, supported Raygun for his “go for it” attitude, others were left furious.
Many asked about the qualifying process and how Ms. Gunn had progressed so far despite her skill being noticeably inferior to the other competitors in Paris.
Neha Madok, co-founder of political advocacy group Democracy in Colour, said Raygun was the wrong woman to represent Australia.
“There are amazing dancers in places like Western Sydney (just one example) where Black and Brown people are honing their skills and craft in settings not recognised by established institutions,” Madok wrote on social media.
‘This is a reflection on the whiteness of Australian sport and Australian attitudes.
‘We could have sent amazing people, the talent is absolutely there, but you have to go where the people are.
An Australian activist has attacked Australian Olympic hero Rachael Gunn (pictured) after failing to score a single point during three breakdancing battles.
The activist said Gunn’s selection to represent Australia was a “reflection of the whiteness of Australian sport”.
“It is a disgrace that Australia is once again sending a mediocre white person to represent us on the world stage, because we are interested in finding the real talent among First Nations people and people of colour.”
Raygun, a lecturer at Macquarie University, 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”.
However, Ms Hadok did not seem to be impressed with Raygun’s academic work.
“What the world needs to understand is that Raygun represents a very specific and unique white Australian woman in academia,” Hadok said.
“Someone who is so determined to ‘decolonize’ that he has done a complete U-turn to colonize again.”
Ms. Gunn hopped like a kangaroo, yawned at an opponent and performed the sprinkler, but failed to score a single point in her three sets.
While a more classic style of breakdancing led her to win the Oceania Championship, she said she had to differentiate herself at the Olympics.
“I was never going to beat these girls at what they do best, dynamics and power moves,” Gunn said after her event.
“So I wanted to move differently, to be artistic and creative because how many opportunities do you get in life to do that on an international stage?”
While the performance and the social media storm caused Raygun to retreat from the spotlight, she did join her fellow Olympians at Sunday’s closing ceremony.
Her teammates cheered loudly as the breakdancer ran through her iconic moves while being lifted onto the shoulders of Australian rower Angus Widdicombe.
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.”