Australian Breakdancer Goes Viral as Sport Makes Its Olympic Debut

July 2024 · 7 minute read

Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn has caused quite a stir on social media after her performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Breaking, more commonly known as breakdancing, made its debut as an Olympic sport on Friday. The competition consists of two gender-based events, with 16 B-boys and 16 B-girls vying for the gold.

Gunn — who competes under the name Raygun — went viral online after her performance Friday in the round-robin stage of the women’s breaking competition, where she was swept out without earning a single point. The 36-year-old sparked dozens of memes and drew criticism from viewers for her unconventional moves while competing against the U.S.’s Logan Edra, Lithuania’s Dominika Banevič and France’s Sya Dembélé.

Related Stories

A hand holding up a controller into the air VIP+

Why the Video Game Industry Can’t Shake Its Struggles

Atmosphere Emmys Emmy Awards Placeholder

Pro-Palestinian Protesters Gather Outside Emmys: 'No Justifying the Murder of Children'

“Mistakes were definitely made folks, but the biggest one was communication by [Raygun’s] family & friends,” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “It’s rare, but not telling someone they can’t dance can have global implications.”

Popular on Variety

Another user on X wrote, “My dog on the lawn 30 seconds after I’ve finished bathing him.”

my dog on the lawn 30 seconds after i've finished bathing him pic.twitter.com/A5aqxIbV3H

— David Mack (@davidmackau) August 9, 2024

Gunn, who has a PhD in cultural studies, is a college professor at Macquarie University in Sydney. She was named the top-ranked B-girl by the Australia Breaking Association in 2020 and 2021, and won the Oceania Breaking Championships in 2023.

“It’s surprising that Raygun from Australia is the top breaker,” X user Bites Of Net said. “The kangaroo move — how did she make it this far?!”

It’s surprising that Raygun from Australia is the top breaker. The kangaroo move 😆—how did she make it this far?! 👀 #BreakingForGold She should’ve swapped the kangaroo for a banana to really stand out. What is this? Seriously, is breakdancing really an Olympic event? pic.twitter.com/9zKeyt1MQp

— Bites Of Net (@BitesOfNet) August 9, 2024

“All of my moves are original,” Gunn told reporters after her performance (per ESPN). “Creativity is really important to me. I go out there, and I show my artistry. Sometimes it speaks to the judges, and sometimes it doesn’t. I do my thing, and it represents art. That is what it is about.”

Ultimately, Japan’s Ami Yuasa earned the gold medal for the B-girls competition at the Paris Olympics, while Banevič scored silver and China’s Liu Qingyi received bronze. The B-boys competition began on Saturday.

See more reactions to Gunn’s breaking performance below:

me when i find myself competing in the breakdancing olympics after a series of hijinks and a case of mistaken identity pic.twitter.com/PKmgrciVSQ

— Aaron Serna 🥥🌴 (@AaronSerna) August 9, 2024

Australia just set breakdancing back 40 years #breaking #Olympics #Olympics2024 #ParisOlympics #breakdancing #raygun pic.twitter.com/i5ivX1v0Al

— michael✨ (@inluvin3days) August 9, 2024

I know no one's taking #Olympics Breakdancing seriously but the Aussie's just pulled a drunk chick off a barstool to compete pic.twitter.com/eFhT7yrAkT

— ℙ𝕙𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕤 𝔽𝕠𝕘𝕘𝕤 (@PhileasFoggs) August 9, 2024

I'd like to personally thank Raygun for making millions of people worldwide think "huh, maybe I can make the Olympics too" pic.twitter.com/p5QlUbkL2w

— Bradford Pearson (@BradfordPearson) August 9, 2024

my five year old niece after she says “watch this!” : pic.twitter.com/KBAMSkgltj

— alex (@alex_abads) August 9, 2024

When I write "Wut." in your draft, it means you've written a sentence that looks like this. pic.twitter.com/VBPX8xg4ae

— LT (@l_tousignant) August 9, 2024

Mistakes were definitely made folks, but the biggest one was communication by RayGunn's Family & Friends, it's rare, but not telling someone they can't dance can have Global implications.#breakdance #Olympics #breakdancing pic.twitter.com/PwdPus9GIN

— Mr Hyde (@RefusalToComply) August 9, 2024

My 2 year old when I try to change his diaper pic.twitter.com/cDLMvLl9Uf

— Magills (@magills_) August 9, 2024

"The 2024 Paris Olympics' hottest event is breakdancing. It has everything – A tiny Lithuanian girl in a durag named 'Nicka,' a 36-year-old Australian PhD student named 'Raygun,' and millions of people all over the world wondering who okayed this." pic.twitter.com/iR8j439Gah

— Mike Beauvais (@MikeBeauvais) August 9, 2024

The Aussie B-Girl Raygun dressed as a school PE teach complete with cap while everyone else is dressed in funky breaking outfits has sent me.

It looks like she’s giving her detention for inappropriate dress at school 🤣#Olympics pic.twitter.com/lWVU3myu6C

— Georgie Heath🎙️ (@GeorgieHeath27) August 9, 2024

Mixed feelings about Olympic breaking thus far but I'm fascinated by Raygun, the 36-year-old Australian college professor who does research on “dance, gender politics, and the dynamics between theoretical and practical methodologies.” pic.twitter.com/0wgHLxfcc9

— Dan Gartland (@Dan_Gartland) August 9, 2024

I could live all my life and never come up with anything as funny as Raygun, the 36-year-old Australian Olympic breakdancer pic.twitter.com/1uPYBxIlh8

— mariah (@mariahkreutter) August 9, 2024

I want Raygun, the 36 year old Australian breakdancer possessed by the spirit of Julia Stiles in Save the Last Dance, to know that I am now her biggest fan and she should never stop doing whatever it is she’s trying to do pic.twitter.com/pNeSMzBmPN

— No. 1 Pickleball Anti (@shelbyboring) August 10, 2024

Raygun actually comes from a rich Australian dance tradition pioneered by Renata Bliss pic.twitter.com/cwX2Q8dRCF https://t.co/v4BnTCBOIZ

— Laurence Barber 🍉 (@laurencesmb) August 9, 2024

Read More About:

Jump to Comments

More from Variety

Most Popular

Must Read

Sign Up for Variety Newsletters

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Variety Confidential

A Variety and iHeartRadio Podcast

ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXOAjp2goKGklrlws8uomZqkX5bCtMDRmqOimZ5ir7OxwKSbmqaTmr9uvsCynq6mXau2s63LZpmrnZGgtq%2BzjKijsqWgnrBusMSbrK1lYWeAd32Pa25sbF8%3D