5 Things You Should Know About Breakdancer Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn

It’s safe to say he’s an Australian dancer Rachael “Raygun” Gunn took the internet by storm.

Gunn competed in the first dance event of the Paris 2024 Olympics on August 9, against France. Sya Dembélé in the first stage of the competition. Although he failed to get a point, losing 0-2 due to the explosive youth performance, his unique dance became the talk of the town after the competition.

Ahead of the big day, Gunn — who made her Olympic debut at age 36 — told CNBC how the younger B-Girls’ dance style will differ from the younger ones, and how it can affect each dance. perfect score, based on originality and creativity.

“The younger competitors have greater strength, stamina and explosiveness. But the elders bring a different level of maturity to the dance,” she said. “My specialty is style and creativity, not flexibility or movement like many other dancers.”

He added, “I don’t know if it will be respected like other methods, but I hope people are still surprised by what I bring because it is different.”

Read on for five things to know about Rachael “Raygun” Gunn.

He loves Dance

Gunn has always had an appreciation and love for all forms of dance, as he explained in a post back on Instagram in July 2024.

“I remember going to the Olympics in Sydney 2000 and never in a million years did I think that one day I would be an Olympian. I was always a dancer – ballet, ballroom, jazz, tap, you name it,” she captioned a carousel of photos, one of which showed her in a pink tutu as a little girl.

He continued, “I am very happy that at this year’s Olympics we get the opportunity to show the world the speed, dedication and excellence required to succeed in dance.

Rachael Gunn Has an Impressive Day Job

Gunn is not only an Olympian, the Australian athlete is a lecturer at Sydney’s Macquarie University with a PhD in cultural studies.

He is Australia’s First Olympic Dancer

With breakdancing recently added to the Summer Olympics for the 2024 games, Gunn is the first dancer from her country to compete for gold.

He reflected on qualifying for the Olympics in an Instagram post in November 2023.

“It’s been a week since I entered the Olympics again [to be honest] I’m still processing it. “I was very tired since the qualifiers, not only physically but also mentally,” he wrote in part. “But I’m also very happy about the next one. I can’t wait to push myself even further in my training. I can’t wait to represent my style, my team, my city, my country, my region.”

He also represented Australia at the World Breaking Championships in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Rachael Gunn’s Controversy Cycle Goes Viral On Social Media

Gunn’s approach to the Olympics quickly went viral on social media after his performance. And while some netizens had a few words to choose about her dancing, many embraced her unique moves and gave her a thumbs up for her style.

“Raygun’s Kangaroo move was so powerful, it felt like the competition was over!” wrote one fan about X. “Give her the #breakdancing gold🥇. While some say #breakdancing shouldn’t be in the Olympics, it’s clearly impressive and fun #BreakingForGold #Olympics.”

Another added, “Two days before #Olympic2024 ends and we think we’ve seen it all. And a new main character appears… a 36-year-old Australian dancer.”

He is an Award Winning Athlete

In addition to competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Gunn is also an award-winning athlete, taking home Sports Star of the Year at the 2024 Pedestrian TV Awards in July.