Raygun's family and coach raised concerns before her disaster Olympics in resurfaced interview
It's been revealed that the family and coach of Olympic breakdancer Raygun had raised concerns before her polarising performance.
Raygun, real name Rachael Gunn, has gone viral across the internet in the past couple of weeks after her performance at the Paris 2024 Games, with the 36-year-old scoring a grand total of zero points in each of her battles.
In fact, Gunn's kangaroo jumps and writhing around the floor are most likely to be the thing most people think of for years to come after they hear the words 'Olympic breakdancing' as the sport has been dropped from the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Amid the growing controversy around her inclusion in Australia's breaking squad, many people online have been wondering how nobody close to Gunn staged an intervention prior to Paris
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Speaking in an interview with CNBC before the Games, the university lecturer said that members of her family were less than happy by the choice of dance ballet, tap and ballroom trained Gunn had decided to pursue.
"They were happy that I was dancing again since so much time and money was spent when I was younger, but they would have preferred for me to take on a more feminine dance style," she said.
Gunn also revealed that her coach, who is her husband, expressed concerns about the physicality of her routine.
"My coach has criticised me for being a little too cautious in breaking, but it has paid off. I've never been seriously injured in breaking - only twinges that were very easily fixed by physiotherapy," she said.
"When I first started, I didn't have the upper body strength, or the strength at all, required to break and that's something I'm still building over the last 13 years."
Since competing in the Olympics Gunn has been accused of 'manipulating' her way into the Paris Games, with a petition regarding her selection even circulating online.
These claims have since been disproven and the petition taken offline due to 'harassment, bullying, or spreading false information'.
Australian breaking judge, Te Hiiritanga Wepiha - who was part of the Olympic qualifying panel - has also come to the breakdancer's defence, branding the claims that Gunn and her husband were in charge of the Australian breaking committee as false.
"All us judges talked about how she was going to get smashed, absolutely smashed [at the Olympics]… she knew it was going to be rough, so it's actually courageous of her," he said in an Instagram Live, adding in the caption: "Dispelling some of the misinformation that is being spread. If you've been sharing that bs petition around just because it suits your narrative… shame on you!!
"Spreading misinformation discredits your cause. We need to do better."
Gunn previously thanked her supporters before addressing the criticism she had received.
She said: "I didn't realise that would also open the door to so much hate which has frankly been pretty devastating.
"I went out there and I had fun. I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off working for the Olympics. I gave my all, truly.
"Im honoured to have been a part of the Australian Olympic team and breaking Olympic debut. What the other athletes have achieved has been phenomenal."
Brenna Cooper