‘Zero points on purpose’: Megan Davis slams Raygun’s Olympic display
The Indigenous leader and sports administrator has blasted viral Olympic breakdancer Rachel Gunn as a ‘disgrace’, claiming her performance was ‘for an academic study’.
Indigenous leader and sports administrator Megan Davis has blasted viral Australian Olympic breakdancer Rachel Gunn as a “disgrace” and claimed she got “zero points on purpose”.
Dr Gunn became an internet sensation over the weekend for her bizarre performance in Paris as Australia’s representative in the divisive breaking category.
Professor Davis – an NRL commissioner and a key architect of the Uluru Statement from the Heart – said the attempt by her academic fellow was a “disgrace”.
“Getting zero points on purpose in three rounds for an academic study subsidised by the taxpayer both at a university and Olympic level isn’t funny and isn’t ‘having a go’,” Dr Davis said on social media. “(It’s) disrespectful to other competitors.
“I’m glad most Aussies aren’t buying the Kool-Aid.
“This is a totally mainstream media-driven narrative. Cos they see themselves in her. Affluent, comfortable life, educated, not a care in the world, nothing matters really, what fun, what a fun Aussie gal, chortle chortle.”
The lecturer, who competes under the name “b-girl Raygun”, was eliminated from the competition in the first round without scoring a single point.
The Australian can reveal that Dr Gunn did not receive any grants from the Australian Sports Commission or Macquarie University. The only public grant given to Dr Gunn was in November 2022 from the City of Sydney, which involved a one-year instalment of $20,278 cash for leading a research study called “Spaces for Street Dance”. The Australian Olympic Committee did fund her return flights from Paris.
The Australian Sports Commission has injected more than $47m in grants to support some of the athletes attending the Games, but according to its funding report Dr Gunn was not provided any ASC financial support.
Eligible athletes training in Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports receive between $4000 and $37,500 a year.
At 36, Dr Gunn became an internet sensation for her breaking moves, which the judges scored as a perfect triple zero. Before becoming a trendy meme, the lecturer in Macquarie University’s Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature represented the country at the World Breaking Championships in Paris in 2021, in Seoul in 2022, and in Leuven (Belgium) in 2023.
She won the Oceania Breaking Championships last year.
The AOC has allocated $2.4m to assist Olympians with the transition from “life as an athlete” to “life after sport” by providing a health and wellness network and professional counselling.
It is not clear whether Dr Gunn would require these services, although World Dancesport Federation general secretary Sergey Nifontov said Dr Gunn was offered support in the wake of the strong social media backlash.
“We are aware about what has happened, especially on social media, and definitely we should put the safety of the athlete, in this case mental safety, in first place,” he said.
Anthony Albanese also offered up his support on Sunday.
“Good on her and a big shout-out to her. That is in the Australian tradition of people having a go.,” the Prime Minister said.
Breakdancing has been cut from the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
More Coverage
‘World at his feet’: Australia’s never seen anything like Gout Gout
Bruce McAvaney has seen so much in Australian track and field throughout his broadcasting career, but nothing compares to what teen sprinting sensation Gout Gout is doing at his age.
Fantastic Foxes, LJ scoop prestigious sports awards
Not even a Hollywood script writer would have suggested the Fox sisters could sweep the slalom events at the Paris Games. But their performances touched the heart of a nation and the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.