The Australian who caused a storm at the Olympic Games when she appeared to mock the breakdancing contest with a bizarre routine has spoken out about the experience and said she did not expect to win any points, but nor did she expect the global attention her dance routine received. Rachel Gunn, known as Raygun, told reporters in Australia that as soon as she qualified to travel to Paris to represent her home nation, she thought, “Oh my gosh, what have I done?”
Ms. Gunn is a university professor in cultural studies, and there was some speculation during the Olympics that she entered the breakdancing contest as an artistic experiment, particularly as “dance” is listed as an area of academic research that interests her. Gunn declared that she wanted to bring Australian symbols to the Olympic contest, which is why she mimicked a kangaroo in her routine.
Regarding the backlash she endured, the 37-year-old said she encountered anger and hatred primarily aimed at her, but also at her husband, her family, and the “dance community of Australia.” Gunn added that she was “sorry” Australian dancers were attacked online, but “I can’t control how people react.”
Footage of Gunn’s unusual routine in Paris went viral online, and the Sydney native decided to view the attention philosophically. She advised her supporters never to be afraid to be different and to try not to care what other people think. Other members of the Australian team backed their colleague and expressed admiration for her positive attitude. One of Australia’s most decorated Olympians, Anna Meares, spoke in Ms. Gunn’s defense and said, “I absolutely love her courage. I love her character.”
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) also spoke out and rejected claims that Gunn’s husband was part of the country’s athletic selection process. AOC chief executive Matt Carroll called the claims “disgraceful” and condemned the “engineered hatred” aimed at the controversial dancer. A petition hosted by Change.org encompassed the allegation, and Mr. Carroll urged the site to remove the petition because it contained “malicious untruths and misinformation.” The petition had already gained 45,000 signatures and condemned the allegedly corrupt system that awarded Gunn with an Olympic place.
