The family of an Australian breakdancer whose performance at last week’s Paris Olympics made headlines has slammed the judges who gave her a zero score.
B-girl Rachel Gunn, better known as Rae Gunn, tried to wow the crowd with moves like the “kangaroo dance,” but the judges didn’t seem too impressed.
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Australian Rachel Gunn, known as Rae Gunn, will compete in the women’s breaking dance round-robin competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on 9 August 2024 at La Concorde in Paris. (ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images)
“It was a tough competition and the judges were clearly looking for a different style of breaking than Rachel,” Gunn’s stepfather, Andrew Free, wrote on Facebook. Fox Sports Australia“Five different aspects are scored equally and, in my obviously biased opinion, originality and musicality were not given any weight, which is why she struggled.
“What’s important is that she represented Australia and breaking at the Olympics with courage and dignity. For some people that’s natural, but for Rachel it’s not. It’s part of the culture.”
Gunn dismissed the criticism in an interview with ESPN.
Fans cheer on Australia’s Reagan during the women’s breaking event at La Concorde during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on August 9, 2024. (Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
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“I wasn’t going to beat them with power moves, which is what they do,” Gunn said of her peers. “What I bring to the table is creativity.”
Gunn said all of her moves were original and she tried to be as creative as possible.
“Creativity is really important to me. I go out and show my artistry. Sometimes it shows up to the judges, sometimes it doesn’t. I do what I want to do, and that’s what expresses art. That’s what’s important,” Gunn added.
Breaking competition judge Martin Gillian also defended Gunn.
Australia’s Raegan competes during the Breaking, B-Girls Round Robin at La Concorde on day 14 of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Paris. (John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images)
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“Breaking is all about originality, bringing something new and representing your country or region,” he said. “And that’s exactly what Raegan was doing. She took inspiration from her surroundings, in this case kangaroos.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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