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Rachael Gunn

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This article is about the Australian dancer. For the television show, see Rachel Gunn, R.N.

Rachael Gunn
Born
Rachael Louise Gunn
OLY, PhD

(1987-09-02) 2 September 1987 (age 37)
Hornsby, New South Wales, Australia
Other namesRaygun
Spouse
Samuel Free
​
(m. 2018)​
Academic background
EducationMacquarie University (BA, PhD)
ThesisDeterritorializing Gender in Sydney's Breakdancing Scene: A B-girl's Experience of B-boying
 (2017)
Doctoral advisorDiane Hughes
Academic work
DisciplineCultural studies
InstitutionsMacquarie University
Main interests
Websiteresearchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/rachael-gunn

Rachael Louise Gunn OLY, PhD (born 2 September 1987), known competitively as Raygun, is an Australian academic and competitive breakdancer. In September 2024, she became ranked as the world number 1, by the World DanceSport Federation.[1] She is a lecturer in the Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language, and Literature at Macquarie University Faculty of Arts.

Gunn gained media attention after competing in breaking at the 2024 Summer Olympics, the sport's debut at the Games. She received a score of zero in a competition against three opponents and did not progress past the first round. After her performance, Gunn became the subject of widespread criticism and online bullying. An anonymously filed petition on the website Change.org calling for an investigation into Gunn's position on the Australian Olympic Team was removed after being reported by the Australian Olympic Committee for containing misinformation and defamatory content.

Early life and education

Rachael Louise Gunn[2] was born on 2 September 1987[3] in Hornsby, New South Wales.[4] She danced as a child, and was trained in ballroom, tap, and jazz styles.[4][5]

Gunn attended Barker College[6] before enrolling at Macquarie University, where she completed a bachelor's degree in contemporary music in 2009 and a PhD in cultural studies in 2017.[7] Her PhD thesis, titled Deterritorializing Gender in Sydney's Breakdancing Scene: A B-girl's Experience of B-boying, explored "the intersection of gender and Sydney's breaking culture". Her doctoral advisor was Diane Hughes.[2][4][8]

Dance career

Early career

Before breakdancing, Gunn practised jazz, tap, and ballroom dancing, and competed in the last.[9] Her boyfriend, later husband, had been breakdancing for 10 years and encouraged her to try it.[3] She began breakdancing in the early 2010s when she was in her mid-twenties.[4][5] Gunn paused her competitive breakdancing career to complete her PhD, returning to competitions in 2018.[5]

Gunn performs under the nickname Raygun, a portmanteau of Rachael Gunn, which is sometimes prefixed with the descriptor b-girl.[7] She is coached by her husband, Samuel Free,[10] and says that she trains three to four hours a day.[11]

Gunn ranked 2nd in the Australian Open B-girl Ranking in 2022[12] and topped the ranking in 2023 in Australia[13] as well as winning or coming in the top three at many Australian breaking events over the past five to ten years.[14] She represented Australia at the World Breaking Championships in Paris (2021), Seoul (2022), and Leuven (2023).[7][4] In 2023, she won the Oceania Breaking Championships, securing her spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics according to the qualifying rules.[4][5]

2024 Olympics

In the breaking event at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Gunn did not receive any points from the judges in each of her three round-robin battles against her opponents, losing 18–0 in all three rounds.[a][16][17] She was eliminated at the round-robin stage after being beaten by Logistx (US), Syssy (France), and Nicka (Lithuania).[18][19] As her performance and outfit did not match her competitors' street style, Gunn was subject to widespread criticism online.[20][21][22] In response, Gunn shared a quote on Instagram: "don't be afraid to be different, go out there and represent yourself, you never know where that's gonna take you".[23] She said she could not compete athletically with her younger rivals,[24] and said she instead wanted to "move differently, be artistic and creative. ... I was always the underdog and wanted to make my mark in a different way".[9]

Team Australia's Chef de Mission, Anna Meares, later issued a statement supporting Gunn and condemning what she called "trolls and keyboard warriors".[25] Martin Gilian, the Head Olympic breaking judge, said that Raygun had done exactly what breaking is supposed to be about: "originality and bringing something new to the table and representing your country or region," which he said she achieved with her kangaroo hop.[26] He added that the breaking community stood behind her. The World DanceSport Federation also offered the support of their safeguarding officer in case Gunn was experiencing mental health problems due to the media attention.[27][28][29]

In the aftermath of the event, false rumours spread that Gunn's husband, Free, was a national coach involved in the Australian team selection and a judge in the Oceania Breaking Championships through which Gunn qualified. However, the Oceania qualifier did not have Free nor any other Australians on its judging panel, used the same rules as the Paris games, and was open to everyone.[30]

An anonymous petition on Change.org, calling for an investigation into the conduct of Gunn, Anna Meares, and the selection process, garnered thousands of signatures. This petition aimed to hold Gunn accountable for "unethical conduct" at the games, also accusing Raygun of "manipulating the selection process" while calling for a public apology from both Gunn and Meares.[31][32] The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) chief executive Matt Carroll demanded the petition be withdrawn, saying it amounted to "bullying and harassment and is defamatory" and that the AOC was especially offended by the insult to Meares. It stated that the Australian selection was made by nine independent international judges and that Gunn was nominated legitimately by DanceSport Australia to the AOC for selection. Gunn is not any kind of officeholder with AUSBreaking nor DanceSport, and no athlete appealed against her selection.[33][34] The petition was withdrawn by Change.org on 15 August 2024.[35]

On the same day, Gunn posted a video on social media talking about the effect that the trolling expressed on social media had had on her and her family and asked the media to stop harassing her family, friends, and the Australian and broader breaking community. She said she had taken her entry seriously and worked hard to prepare.[35]

Gunn's breaking performances were satirised by Rachel Dratch on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, further establishing Gunn's virality.[36]

Post-Olympics and retirement

In September 2024, she became ranked the world number 1 by the World DanceSport Federation as a result of many participants' ranking points expiring due to the 52 weeks ending and the Olympics and its qualifying circuit events not contributing to the ranking.[1]

News.com.au reported in October 2024 that though Gunn gained substantial notoriety at the Olympics for herself and for the sport, other national and international competitors have been trying to distance themselves from her.[37]

On 6 November 2024, Gunn announced her retirement from competitive breaking, citing the viral response to her Olympic performance.[38] She stated that the prospect of being scrutinised by so many online changed her experience of competing and going forward, she will dance mostly for personal enjoyment.[39]

Raygun: The Musical, a theatre work about Gunn's contentious Olympics performance was scheduled to debut in Sydney on 7 December 2024. The show was cancelled after legal threats by Gunn's lawyers who claimed her name and kangaroo hop were intellectual property. Set to star in Raygun: The Musical, Sydney comedian Steph Broadbridge observed that the kangaroo dance was: "an Olympic-level dance. How would I possibly be able to do that without any formal breakdancing training?"[40] Gunn claimed to be have been 'blindsided' after learning about the show through the media.[41] However, it was reported that the trademark application of the silhouette of her doing the kangaroo pose was submitted by her legal team on the same day of when the show was first promoted with the same image, on 25 September.[42][43] A trademark application for the name, 'Raygun', was stalled with an 'adverse report' issued by authorities in October 2024.[42] On 20 December, it was reported that Broadbridge would continue the musical as Breaking the Musical and Gunn stated that the issue had been resolved.[44][45]

Academic career

Gunn is a lecturer at Macquarie University Faculty of Arts in the Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature.[7][4]

Her research focuses on breakdancing, street dance, hip-hop, youth culture, and gender in politics. She is a member of the Macquarie University Performance and Expertise Research Centre.[7]

Personal life

Gunn met her husband, fellow breakdancer Samuel Free, at university in 2008.[10] They married in January 2018.[46]

Publications

Journal articles

  • Gunn, Rachael (2016). "The 'systems of relay' in doing cultural studies: experimenting with the 'Body without Organs' in b-girling practice". Continuum. 30 (2): 183–194. doi:10.1080/10304312.2016.1143194. ISSN 1030-4312.
  • Gunn, Rachael (2022). "Where the #bgirls at? politics of (in)visibility in breaking culture". Feminist Media Studies. 22 (6): 1447–1462. doi:10.1080/14680777.2021.1890182. ISSN 1468-0777.

Book chapters

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ A note on judging: "A panel of nine judges score each battle and every round based on five criteria: technique, vocabulary, execution, musicality and originality. Each category accounts for 20% of the final score. Judges use a digital slider to score battles. The slider shifts in real-time toward the breaker who is outperforming the opposing dancer in a specific category". Each round leaves one of the dancers victorious.[15] For a fuller explanation of how points are allocated, see Breakdancing rules format moves, here or the official Breaking Results book.

References

  1. ^ a b Burke, Minyvonne (10 September 2024). "Raygun, viral Australian Olympic breakdancer, ranked No. 1 in the world by sport's governing body". NBC News.
  2. ^ a b Rachael Louise Gunn (2017), Deterritorializing gender in Sydney's breakdancing scene: a B-girl's experience of B-boying (catalogue entry), Macquarie University. Department of Media, Music, Communication and Cultural Studies, retrieved 13 August 2024
  3. ^ a b "RAYGUN". Olympics.com. Archived from the original on 27 July 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Rachael Gunn". Australian Olympic Committee. 24 February 2024. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d Snape, Jack (20 April 2024). "Breaker Rachael Gunn: 'We are essentially being used to up the Olympic ratings'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  6. ^ The Barker, Issue 67, August 2005, p. 24. Download here Archived 13 August 2024 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ a b c d e "Rachael Gunn". Macquarie University. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  8. ^ Gunn, Rachael Louise (2017). Deterritorializing Gender in Sydney's Breakdancing Scene: A B-girl's Experience of B-boying (PhD thesis). Macquarie University. doi:10.25949/19433291.v1. hdl:1959.14/1275136.
  9. ^ a b Gunn, Rachael (9 August 2024). "Meet Raygun, the Australian academic who made history in Olympic breaking". SBS News (Interview). Interviewed by Wedesweiler, Madeleine. Archived from the original on 12 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  10. ^ a b Rocca, Jane (3 July 2024). "She is 36, has a PhD and is heading to the Olympics to compete in breakdancing". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  11. ^ Gebilagin, Lizza (11 March 2024). "How Rachael Gunn is breakdancing her way to the Paris Olympics". Body and Soul.
  12. ^ "Open Bgirl Ranking 2022 Australia" (PDF). 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Open Bgirl Ranking 2023 Australia" (PDF). 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  14. ^ Gbogbo, Mawunyo (12 August 2024). "How did Raygun qualify for the Olympics? Is she really the best Australia has to offer?". ABC News. Archived from the original on 13 August 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  15. ^ Olmedo, Alonzo (11 August 2024). "How does Olympic breaking work? Format, rules, judging and more". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  16. ^ "Raygun: Judge defends breaking routine that scored zero points at Paris Olympics". Sky News. Archived from the original on 13 August 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  17. ^ "In Australia, Raygun's zero in Olympic breaking is a perfect score". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  18. ^ "Raygun Events and Medals, Paris Olympics 2024". olympics.com. Archived from the original on 27 July 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  19. ^ Pu, Jason (10 August 2024). "Raygun, The Australian Breakdancer In The Olympics: Explained". Forbes. Archived from the original on 13 August 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  20. ^ Forward, Devon (11 August 2024). "Olympic Breakdancer Raygun Sends a Bold Message to Her Fashion Critics". Parade. Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  21. ^ Stewart, Dodai; Minsberg, Talya (9 August 2024). "The Australian Professor Who Turned Breaking on Its Head". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  22. ^ Willix, Pierra (11 August 2024). "The Simpsons fans gobsmacked after another prediction 'comes true'". Metro. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  23. ^ "'Australia's first Olympic breaker 'Raygun' vows to keep being herself after online hate'". The Guardian. 10 August 2024. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  24. ^ "Raygun hits back at online hate as breaking moves at the Olympics go viral". The Independent. 10 August 2024. Archived from the original on 10 August 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  25. ^ "Australia exec upset by trolling of breaker Raygun". ESPN.com. 10 August 2024. Archived from the original on 11 August 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  26. ^ "Top breakdancing judge praises Raygun's kangaroo move as singer Adele weighs in". SBS News. 12 August 2024. Archived from the original on 12 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  27. ^ Maguire, Ken (11 August 2024). "Breaking community defends b-girl Raygun and is hopeful for return to Olympic program". Associated Press News. Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  28. ^ "Breaking community shows support for viral b-girl Raygun, says she was trying to be original". KUSA. 9 August 2024. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  29. ^ "Paris 2024: Officials support Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn" (video). BBC Sport. 12 August 2024. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  30. ^ Wark, Tom (13 August 2024). "No, Raygun's Olympic selection not an inside job". Australian Associated Press. Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  31. ^ Cummings-Grady, Mackenzie (14 August 2024). "Thousands Sign Petition Claiming Olympic Breakdancer RayGun Should Be Held Accountable for Unethical Conduct". XXL Mag. Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  32. ^ Bonner, Mehera (14 August 2024). "Thousands Reportedly Sign Petition to Hold Raygun Accountable for "Unethical Conduct"". Cosmopolitan. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  33. ^ "Rachael Gunn: AOC defends Aussie breakdancer Raygun against 'disgraceful' online petition". 9news.com.au. 15 August 2024. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  34. ^ Michaels, Jake (15 August 2024). "Aussie officials condemn petition against Raygun". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  35. ^ a b "Raygun: Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn calls Olympic performance backlash "devastating"". BBC Sport. 15 August 2024. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  36. ^ https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/rachel-dratch-olympic-breakdancer-raygun-jimmy-fallon-tonight-show-1236105009/
  37. ^ Sullivan, Matthew (21 October 2024). "'It's so subjective': Breakers move on from Raygun, at odds with sport judging". News.com.au.
  38. ^ "Raygun: Rachael Gunn retires from breaking after Olympic backlash". BBC News. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  39. ^ Henderson, Cydney (7 November 2024). "Rachael 'Raygun' Gunn, viral Olympic breaker, retires from competition after backlash". USA Today. Retrieved 7 November 2024. 'I still break. But, you know, that's like in my living room with my partner.' [...] 'I think the level of scrutiny...it's just not going to mean the same thing,' Gunn said.
  40. ^ "Raygun-inspired musical cancelled over legal threats, comedian says". Abc.net. 7 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  41. ^ "Raygun explains decision to trademark name and shut down comedian's musical". ABC News. 14 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  42. ^ a b Ward, Mary (7 December 2024). "Raygun: The Musical cancelled after Olympian issues legal threat". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  43. ^ Hodson, Lachlan (17 December 2024). "Comedian With Allegedly Leaked Copy Of Raygun's Legal Threat Claims She 'Lied' In Public Apology". PEDESTRIAN.TV. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  44. ^ Cassidy, Caitlin (20 December 2024). "Raygun says 'we've resolved everything' after comedy musical stoush – so is everyone besties now?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  45. ^ "Raygun says parody musical legal drama has been resolved". ABC News. 20 December 2024. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  46. ^ Gillan, Kimberly (10 July 2024). "On an early date, Sammy introduced Rachael to his sport. Now, he's her Olympic coach". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
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