Rachael Gunn also known as Raygun, faced serious backlash from the media for her poor performance reflects on to the performance with laughs despite the need to seek mental health support.
When breakdancing was introduced in the 2024 Summer Games, it completely changed Gunn’s career. From a B-girl, and then to a participant in the Paris Olympic Games at the age of 36, Gunn describes her feelings as something that “was so totally foreign to anything I’d ever been in.
Despite participating in the Olympics, Gunn was known for her sloppy and embarrassing performance. Gunn walked off the stage with a combined total of 0 points from her 3 battles. However, this wasn’t even the true test.
After the games, Gunn became one of the most ridiculed athletes. Journalists from all over the world criticized Gunn as not “worthy” enough to participate in the most prestigious sporting event. Gunn, watching all this unfold, describes it as “a growing monster whose mood swiftly turned from good-humoured to dark and abusive.”
Despite all the criticism, Sammy Free, Gunn’s husband, believes that Gunn delivered an incredible performance. Mr. Free commented that “The world needs to be made up of original thinkers. In my opinion, she did something extraordinary — she stood out from the crowd.”
Currently, there are still memes about her, but they are in good humour. Being a part of the grandest sporting stage was a feat in itself, and Rachael Gunn achieved it, despite not fitting into what was expected. Maybe it’s time we appreciate her efforts.