Raygun's Olympic debut
By Winston Chu and Andrew Xie Sep. 25, 2024
Enter Rachel Gunn: hopping like a kangaroo and crawling on the floor, she represented Australia in the 2024 Olympics for its brand new official sport: breaking. She is met with tar and feathers: memes, criticism and rumors about her qualification spread like wildfire. However, Gunn, who goes by Raygun in the dance scene, was misunderstood by many, thinking her display was a mockery of breaking culture when she aimed to display creativity on the world’s biggest stage.
Breaking is an energetic street dance style with stylish footwork and acrobatic movements. Originating in the Bronx, New York, it was created by African American and Latino youth in the 70s during the age of hip-hop as a way to express themselves and their view of the world. Breaking’s Olympic debut in the 2024 Paris Games followed its success at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, where the fusion of dance, sport and urban culture made it a fan-favorite for younger audiences.
However, what dominated the center of attention at the Paris games was not breaking’s premiere, but the performance of Rachel Gunn, at the event, her unconventional routine landing her three consecutive losses.
Gunn is a top-ranked Australian B-girl who obtained a PhD in cultural studies, focusing on breakdance cultural theory. When the Olympics started, Gunn quickly went viral for her routine. Her signature moves, which included “the sprinkler” and “the kangaroo”, generated memes and attracted ridicule from all over the internet. There were complaints of cultural appropriation as Raygun’s unorthodox routine was seen as mocking breaking’s roots in African-American and Latino culture. Other critics argued that Raygun's performance did not represent breaking, believing she was toying with the culture during a significant moment for the sport.
“I was flabbergasted by Gunn’s performance as I did not expect such a silly routine at the Olympics. I have seen a lot of very impressive breaking routines, and her performance did not match the high standards of the competition,” Sophomore Kyu Won Yeom said.
Yet, from its humble origins in Harlem, breaking has always emphasized originality. The sport revolves around designing new moves that represent one’s self-expression and identity. Gunn embraces this spirit. In fact, she stated that all she wanted was to “move differently, be artistic [and] creative,” according to an interview with Gunn from BBC.
“I thought that her performance was a breath of fresh air, highlighting creativity to make it stand out. If she was able to qualify for the Olympics, then she should stick with what got her there,” said Freshman Kaden Sung.
Although Gunn’s performance was awarded zero points by the judges, she made her mark on the breaking scene. Some will remember her as a fool, but others will remember her as a pioneer, shedding light on an underrepresented dance style and inspiring people to deviate from the norm. After all, that is what breakdancing is all about.
About the Contributor
Winston Chu
staff writer
Winston Chu is a junior at Leland High. This is his second year in Journalism, and his first year as a movie columnist. He enjoys speech and debate, watching television series, and sleeping.
Jane Hong
artist
Jane Hong is a artist and a page editor. She enjoys trying out new art styles and this is her third year in journalism. Some of her hobbies include watching kdrama with her family, dancing, and painting. She also likes eating good food.
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