Rachel “Raegan” Gunn has finally spoken out against the intense criticism she received after her much-mocked breakdancing routine at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Gunn, 36, has been criticised on social media for claiming to have a “PhD in breakdancing” and being a university professor of “cultural politics”. Macquarie University Based in Sydney, Australia, her research interests include “breaking, street dance, hip hop culture, youth culture/scenes, the construction of the dance body, the politics of gender and gender performance, ethnography, and methodological dynamics between theory and practice.”
What’s the NBA equivalent of Rachel Gunn’s Olympic performance?pic.twitter.com/8FoIjIzdFy
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) August 13, 2024
Her doctoral thesis, “Deterritorialising Gender in Sydney’s Breakdance World: B-Girl Experiences of B-Boying”, focused on “the intersection of gender and Sydney’s breakdancing culture”.
But despite Gunn’s academic interest in the subject, his performance was met with ridicule, seemingly shifting the genre from “street” to suburban, white teen birthday parties. The moves he devised for his Olympic debut included imitations of snakes, kangaroo leaps and even a lawn sprinkler.
Perhaps not surprisingly, she lost all her Olympic matches 18-0.
The mockery was swift, with social media users posting a flurry of memes and taunts. Among other accusations, some said her life was a disgrace to the breakdancing world, and that her routines and “PhD in breakdancing” made her an object of ridicule for the sport.
Some have alleged that Gunn, as an academic, was involved in the decision-making process for the Australian breakdancing team, leading some to question whether she voted for her rather than other candidates, but the Australian Olympic Committee has assured the public that Gunn was “simply a contestant who competed in and won a qualifying tournament” and had no involvement in the organisation or decision-making process.
As the wave of attacks grows, Mr. Gunn is now Speak Up According to Australia’s News.com, the video reports:
“Hey everyone, it’s Raegan. I want to start by thanking all the people who have supported me. I really appreciate all of your positivity and I’m happy I’ve been able to bring joy into your lives, that’s always been my wish,” she said at the start of the video.
Skating athlete Rachel “Raegan” Gunn has broken her silence, posting a video to Instagram about the controversy that erupted after her Olympic performance. https://t.co/AtLWVcLKwd pic.twitter.com/wGsbYyWzk9
— New York Post (@nypost) August 15, 2024
“I had no idea it would open the door for so much hate, and quite frankly, it’s been pretty devastating,” she admitted.
“While I enjoyed competing, I took it seriously and gave it my all to prepare for the Olympics,” she said, adding, “I’m honoured to be part of the Australian Olympic team and to have been a part of Breaking’s Olympic debut. The achievements of the other athletes are simply phenomenal.”
She then addressed some of the allegations circulating on social media: “Regarding the allegations and misinformation circulating, I would like to refer everyone to AOC’s recent statements, the Ausbreaking Instagram page, and posts on WDSF’s Breaking for Gold page.”
“Little fun fact: there are actually no points in breakdancing. If you want to know how the judges rated me and my opponents, you can see the comparison percentages for the five criteria on Olympics.com. All of the results are there,” she continued.
And she called on people to stop “harassing” her family and Australia’s entire breakdancing community.
“However, I sincerely ask that members of the media stop harassing my family and friends, the Australian breaking community and the entire streetdance community,” she said.
“This has caused many people great distress and we ask that their privacy be respected.
“Thank you everyone,” Gunn concluded.
Breakdancing is Eliminated It is set to become an official Olympic sport in 2028, but that decision was made long before Gunn’s performance in Paris.
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