This year’s Olympic Games have provided plenty of unforgettable moments.
The 5,000-meter event pitted Team GB athlete George Mills against French runner Hugo Hay. Who can forget the pole vaulter, whose bulge ended his medal aspirations when it caught on the bars?
People are at a loss for words after witnessing the newest viral clip from Paris 2024.
Breakdancing made its long-awaited Olympic debut yesterday (9 August), with contenders going head-to-head over two days.
Each fight consists of three rounds, or throwdowns, in which the breakers take turns performing for one minute each.
The winner of the best-of-three matches advances to the final two dancers’ battle for gold.
And the performance of an Australian dancer named ‘Raygun’ in the qualifications has left spectators perplexed.
In a video that has now gone viral on social media, the 36-year-old—actual name: Rachael Gunn—can be seen wriggling on the dance floor during a very hectic routine.
Gunn was Australia’s top-ranked B-girl (female breaker) in 2020 and 2021, and she is a creative researcher at Sydney’s Macquarie University who studies ‘the cultural politics of breakdancing’.
We captured the footage during her throwdown against France’s Syssy (Sya Dembélé), 16, in the second of three qualifying rounds.
In the end, the Australian received no points from any of her opponents and lost the competition.
People from X had a lot to say about Raygun’s performance.
One individual wrote, “How did she get qualified? Is that the best Australia has? lol.”
A second person posted the popular video with the description, “My five-year-old niece after she says ‘watch this’.”
A third person added, “Never watched Breaking before, but I can already tell Raygun doesn’t have a chance in this event.”
However, the response was not all negative, with many complimenting Gunn for her bravery in competing.
One person remarked, “Raygun from Australia is my Olympic hero actually,” while another added, “Props to Raygun for having the guts to go out there.”
A fourth participant laughed: “If Raygun isn’t our flag bearer for the closing ceremony, we’ve lost all sense of who we are as a nation.”
my five year old niece after she says “watch this!” : pic.twitter.com/KBAMSkgltj
— alex (@alex_abads) August 9, 2024
However, the hatred does not seem to have affected the dancer or intellectual.
When asked about her Olympic performance, she stated, “All my maneuvers are original. Creativity is really essential to me. I go out there and demonstrate my artistry.
“Sometimes it speaks to the judges, and sometimes it doesn’t.” I do my thing, which reflects art. That’s what it’s about.”
Gun said, “What I wanted to do was come out here and do something fresh, unusual, and unique; that’s my strength, my originality.
“I knew I would never be able to outperform these girls in their dynamic and powerful movements, so I decided to move differently and embrace my artistic and creative side. After all, how many opportunities do you get in a lifetime to accomplish that on an international stage?
“I was always the underdog and wanted to make my mark differently.”