‘It’s pathetic’: Olympic coach’s call for Aussies to get behind forgotten teen breaking sensation

An Australian Olympic breaking coach has claimed worldwide backlash had a “ridiculous” impact on his teenage star’s own performance in Paris.

Australia's Rachael Gunn, known as Raygun competes in the Women's Breaking dance Round robin of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at La Concorde in Paris, on August 9, 2024. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)

The coach of Australia’s male breakdancer Jeff Dunne believes the worldwide backlash to RayGun’s performance had a detrimental impact on his 16-year-old star.

Liam Masters took to social media on Monday to reveal the teenager’s phone had lit up with hundreds of messages.

Dunne, known as J-Attack, competed on the second day of the breakdancing schedule and was knocked out by Ukrainian athlete ‘Kuzya’ in the first round despite an admirable effort on the floor.

“I think (it) needs to be given more credit,” Masters said in an Instagram reel posted on Monday.

“On Saturday, Jeff woke up and his phone was flooded ... hundreds and hundreds of messages with the videos, the memes, the jokes, the trolling, the articles (about Gunn).
“The amount of pressure that created for Jeff on the day was ridiculous.”

Breaker Jeff Dunne for GQ

The teen was breaking against all odds, at 16 years of age and going face-to-face with multi-time world champions while the world watched.

“He knew everyone was waiting to see if he was going to deliver or not,” Masters said.

“I really hope that the Australian media can get behind Jeff for his awesome achievement with what he did for his age and what he’s overcome.

“It’s such an achievement to be 16 years of age and overcome the buckling pressure that the whole world was watching.”

Speaking on the RayGun controversy which has taken social media by storm, Masters made his message clear to the public.

“All the bullying that’s going on, it needs to stop,” he said.

“It’s pathetic.

PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 09: B-Girl Raygun of Team Australia competes during the B-Girls Round Robin - Group B on day fourteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Place de la Concorde on August 09, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

“RayGun is a human being and she doesn’t deserve any of this, so I really hope that the Australian Breaking Committee, WDSF Australia and the Australian Olympic Committee are going to be there to support her 100%.”

Gunn, 36, qualified for the Australian Olympic team earlier this year after winning the Oceania qualifiers - a competition in which any B-Boy or B-Girl athlete was free to enter.

While Olympic Breakdancing gave the world a taste of ‘new,’ it has since been revealed the event will not be included in the Los Angeles Games or beyond, a decision the International Olympic Committee had come to before RayGun took the floor on August 10.