In her first interview since making global headlines following her controversial appearance at the Paris Olympics, Rachel “Raegun” Gunn has apologised to the breaking community and said her “record speaks for herself as Australia's best breaker”.
The Australian breakdancer and Macquarie University academic was at the centre of international controversy after her routine, which saw her hopping like a kangaroo and thrashing around on the floor, saw her lose in the round-robin stage of the competition.
In an interview that aired on The Project on Wednesday night, Gunn apologized to the breakdancing community following criticism that he had tarnished the art form's reputation.
“There was an incredibly angry and nasty response, not just to me, but to my husband, my colleagues, the Australian breaking and street dance community and my family,” she told the project.
“The energy and venom that people had was pretty alarming.”
Gunn also inspired a sketch for US comedian Jimmy Fallon's The Tonight Show, which he described as evoking “mixed emotions”, adding that it was “not ready to be watched yet”.
“Honestly, I don't know whether to hug him or yell at him because he's given me such an amazing platform,” she told host Waleed Ali about Fallon.
“I haven't actually seen the sketches because I don't think it's time to see them yet, but I will at some point.”
The 36-year-old also revealed that Richard Branson called her after the performance, saying it was “brave, courageous and fun” and asking if she would like to perform on a cruise with musician Boy George.
Gunn also addressed criticism from within the breaking community, with some claiming she had slowed the sport's progress.
“It really saddens me to hear these criticisms and I am very sorry for the backlash the community has experienced, but I have no control over how people respond.”
When asked if she considered herself the best female breaker in the country, Gunn replied: “I think my record speaks for itself.”
When Ally asked if it was ironic that Gunn had written that breakdancing came from marginalised communities yet white people were sent to the Olympics, Gunn replied, “There are lots of white breakdancing girls in Australia.”
“I don't understand why us white women are attracted to breaking. Even if we came second or third, I still think a white B-girl would be the one representing us.”
“That's something we're always thinking about: How can we get more people interested in breaking?”
Gunn said she qualified for the Olympics by winning the Oceania qualifiers, where she didn't know the judges.
“To be honest, I was very nervous. I had always won competitions in Australia but this time the judges were all new, so I wasn't sure if I could win,” she said.
She said she knew if she made it through the qualifiers she would have a tough time playing against other countries.
“When I qualified I thought, Oh my God, what have I done? I knew I was going to lose and I knew people wouldn't understand my style and what I was trying to do.”
Gunn lost all three round-robin matches by a combined score of 54-0, sparking a hostile response to her performance.
More than 40,000 people have signed an anonymous Change.org petition alleging that Gunn “manipulated” the Olympic qualification process.
The qualifying tournament to be held in Sydney in October 2023 will be organised by the World DanceSport Federation, the sport's international governing body, with the approval of the International Olympic Committee, the AOC said in a statement.
The AOC said Gunn was “duly appointed” to the committee by DanceSport Australia after winning the qualifying competition, but was not responsible for any decisions regarding funding for the sport.
She also spoke about the reaction to her performance and the ordeal she faced when she was chased down the street by reporters.
“That was really amazing,” she said.
“What would I do if someone came after me? But I really panicked.”
This follows a statement released by Gunn on social media, in which he described the reaction to his performance as “devastating.”
She thanked her supporters but added that she had no idea her admission “would open the door to so much hate, which frankly is very devastating.”
“While I enjoyed competing, I also took it very seriously. I gave it my all to prepare for the Olympics, seriously.”
Breaker added that he plans to spend a few weeks in Europe and will be “happy to answer further questions once he returns to Australia.”
– Australian Press Agency.
