Australian breakdancer Rachael “Raygun” Gunn defended her polarizing performance on the Paris Olympics last month and denied that she had someway manipulated her qualification for the Games.

The 37-year-old breakdance professor spoke to the Backlash and worldwide ridicule in an interview that aired on Australia's The Project on Wednesday, by which she acknowledged her competition efforts, which many described as “embarrassing.”

“It was really sad how much hate it generated,” said Gunn, who was named Australia's “top ranked” breaker last yr, in addition to in 2020 and 2022. She added that while she was “very sorry the community has experienced backlash,” she “can't control how people react.”

Gunn, whose Viral performance included imitation of kangaroo hopsattributed “many of the reactions to the fact that people are not very familiar with breakdancing and the different approaches to it.”

“The energy and nastiness of people was quite disturbing,” she said. “I wanted to bring out some Australian moves and themes. … That's the wonderful thing about breakdancing. You can get inspiration from any source.”

Despite scoring zero points in her three Paris events, Gunn said her “record will show whether she really is Australia's best breaker”. She also denied conspiracy theories that she manipulated the choice process to qualify for the Games.

Gunn noted that she has largely avoided social media since then and that she immediately sought psychological help given the “ups and downs” following the Games, and expressed gratitude for the “amazing” positive response she has received.

Originally published: September 5, 2024 at 12:09 p.m.