Stop defending the breaking, it’s a farce and slap in the face to real Olympians

Nobody enjoys leading a pile-on of an Australian athlete doing their best on the world stage, but some things are indefensible.

Jai Bednall

@jaibednall

3 min read

August 11, 2024 - 12:36AM

Australia's Rachael Gunn, known as Raygun, had no business being at the Olympics. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)

COMMENT

For all the bleeding hearts out there let’s get this out of the way off the top - we’re sure Rachael Gunn is a lovely woman. We assume she was trying her best. And yes, it’s uncomfortable to have to be critical of an Aussie having a crack on the world stage.

But the 36-year-old known as Raygun had no business being at the Olympics.

Australia's Rachael Gunn, known as Raygun, had no business being at the Olympics. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)

The once every four years gathering of the world’s best athletes carries the motto “faster, higher, stronger”.

Everyone watches the Olympics for different reasons but for many it’s to marvel at humans who can do things that seem so removed from anything you’re capable of doing yourself.

Physical freaks who have dedicated their entire lives to making the most marginal improvements, sacrificing every second of every day to gain the slightest advantage.

Like Matthew Richardson, the Aussie sprint cyclist who was cranking his bike around the track at 80km/h at the same time Raygun was flopping around on the floor.

Or Maddison Keeney, who was contorting her body with incredible speed and precision in the 3m springboard diving, while Raygun did her best impression of Kath Day-Knight.

#Olympics2024 #breakdancing #kathandkim

Raygun was taught by the best breakdancers Australia has to offer: pic.twitter.com/j0yAERlCAT
— Matt âœª (@mattyxlp) August 10, 2024

It’s not to watch something you feel like you’ve seen done just as well at the school disco.

Raygun’s defence of her oddball approach was also disappointing.

“I was always going to be the underdog going in,” she told Channel 9 after her performance.

“I was never going to beat these B-girls at what they do, so I did what I do best and I went out and I showed myself, my creativity, my style, a little bit of Australian character so that I could try and make my mark on this world stage.”

It’s like if the worst swimmer in the pool decided to do doggy paddle because they had no chance of winning.

Is this the ‘Australian character’ we want to show the world? (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Part of why Raygun hit like a stun gun is the lack of visibility we had on our own ability. Finding out Australia is miles behind the world in something for the first time hit hard.

That’s where Raygun was sent like a lamb to the slaughter.

Australia still enters synchronised swimmers and rhymthic gymnastic competitors at the Olympics but we know we’re not competitive so we don’t pay attention.

But for anyone who has seen the film Step Up it’s also just really hard to believe this was the best we had to offer.

Canâ€™t believe Australia didnâ€™t send this guy to the Olympics pic.twitter.com/8aKdrNUMaT
— Baby Yarny Lasagna (@delightfulyarn) August 10, 2024

There were other avoidable elements too - chiefly Raygun’s outfit.

Images of her competing in previous competitions and photographs taken on the streets of Sydney ahead of the Games make her look cool.

In Paris she looked like Tina Fey in a Saturday Night Live skit.

The way a breakdancer looks is just as important as how they move in the eyes of Bronx break legend Richard “Crazy Legs” Colón.

“The word would be ‘flavour’,” he says. “It’s kind of like pulling an outfit together — it’s what makes a person cool and original with swag.”

Raygun’s kit gave her less flavour than boiled potatoes.

Rachael 'Raygun' Gunn poses in the Sydney CBD. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Australian B-girl Raygun competes in September 2023. Photo: JNY Photography.

If this was any other sport we’d be asking for a royal commission into the selection process and wanting answers about how this was allowed to happen.