Former Zeroes Receive Support: PM, Judge Offer Support to Viral Olympic Breakdancer

After gaining viral attention for her Olympic performance, Rachael Gunn received support when breaking head judge Martin Gilian, known as “MGbility,” clarified that her score wasn’t indicative of failure.

He highlighted that the breaking community “definitely stands behind her.”

Gunn, also known as “RayGun,” garnered worldwide attention for scoring straight zeros in her performance at the 2024 Olympics.

“Breaking is all about originality and bringing something new to the table and representing your country or region,” said MGbility. “This is exactly what Raygun was doing. She was inspired by her surroundings, which in this case, for example, was a kangaroo.”

MGbility mentioned that judges consider five criteria when making a decision, and Raygun’s level was “maybe not as high” as her competitors.

“But again, that doesn’t mean that she did really bad. She did her best. She won the Oceania qualifier,” he said. “Unfortunately for her, the other B-girls were better.”

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During the same press conference, Sergey Nifontov, general secretary of the World Dancesport Federation, stated that the federation had extended support to Raygun in response to the intense social media feedback.

Gunn’s performance saw her avoiding standard breakdancing moves and instead choosing to perform original moves inspired by Australian animals.

Albanese Backs ‘Raygun’

The dancer soon had the prime minister of the country speaking out in her favor.

“Good on her and a big shout-out to her. That is in the Australian tradition of people having a go. She’s had a go representing our country and that’s a good thing,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters.

“The Olympics is about people participating in sport. That’s a good thing, and Raygun had a crack. Whether athletes have won gold medals or just done their best, that is all we ask for. It’s the participating that is really important.”

Gunn also received support from Australia’s Chef de Mission Anna Meares, who publicly defended her and praised her bravery.

“I think that what has occurred on social media with trolls and keyboard warriors, and giving those comments airtime, has been really disappointing,” Meares said at a press conference on Aug. 10.

“Raygun is an absolutely loved member of this Olympic team. She has represented the Olympic team, and the Olympic spirit, with great enthusiasm. And I absolutely love her courage.”

Gunn, a 36-year-old university lecturer, lost all three pool matches against competitors representing the United States, France, and Lithuania in the sport’s opener at Paris’ Place de la Concorde on Aug. 9.

Later on social media, Gunn shared thoughts on the importance of individuality.

“Don’t be afraid to be different,” the post read. “Go out there and represent yourself; you never know where that’s gonna take you.”

Gunn is a top-ranking female breaker and creative arts researcher specializing in the cultural politics of breakdancing at Sydney’s Macquarie University.

She secured her spot in the Games as Australia’s B-Girl delegate after winning last year’s Oceania Breaking Championships against a dancer named “Molly.”

Senator Raises Questions About University’s Priorities

Liberal Senator Gerard Rennick has questioned why an Australian university is supporting research into breakdancing.

“She attended Macquarie University for her bachelor’s degree in contemporary music, graduating in 2009, and for her PhD in cultural studies, graduating in 2017. Her PhD thesis focused on ’the intersection of gender and Sydney’s breaking culture,’” the senator wrote on Facebook.

“Nothing against break dancing by the way. By all means, it’s a fair recreational activity, but that’s it. It shouldn’t be subsidized,” he added. “It also begs the question—just how many obscure and pointless courses do universities offer that are subsidized by the taxpayer.”