- French thief directs vulgar insult at Australian teen
- Breakdance takes the spotlight in Paris
Australian schoolboy Jeff ‘J-Attack’ Dunne was brutally tackled at the Paris Olympics by his French rival Danis ‘Dany Dann’ Civil, who appeared to ridicule the size of his manhood.
Dunne, 16, lost all three of his breaking battles on Sunday, but it was his second fight with the 36-year-old Civil that caused a surprise.
After the Australian was completely defeated, Civil pretended to pull down Dunne’s pants.
Civil then walked away, pointing to Dunne’s groin and laughing. He then held up his index finger and thumb, insinuating that he was lacking below the belt.
The Frenchman later won the silver medal, while Canadian B-Boy Phil Wizard won gold to end the dancesport competition.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Olympic president has criticised breakdancer Rachael Gunn, calling it typical of the misogynistic insults female athletes have to endure.
Mission chief Anna Meares says Gunn should be commended for her courage, not pilloried for her performances at the Paris Games.
Gunn, better known as Raygun, failed to score a single point when breaking made its Olympic debut on Friday in Paris.
Jeff ‘J-Attack’ Dunne received a vicious insult from Dane ‘Dany Dann’ Civil at the Olympics
Dunne, 16, lost all three of his breaking battles in Paris on Sunday
Since then, Gunn has been the target of not only criticism, but also criticism of her performance, online and in some mainstream media.
She hopped like a kangaroo, at times resembled a T-Rex and rolled across the floor in an incoherent manner that both confused and entertained Australians watching the sport for the first time.
Gunn responded strongly to her critics, criticizing the IOC for removing the sport from the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
“I love Rachael,” Meares told reporters on Saturday.
‘What has happened on social media with trolls and keyboard warriors, and picking up on those comments and giving them airtime, is downright disappointing.
Breakdancing takes the spotlight in Paris after a performance by Dunne’s teammate
Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn’s fractures made her go viral for all the wrong reasons after she failed to score a single point when the sport made its Olympic debut
‘Raygun is an absolutely beloved member of this Olympic team.
‘She has represented the Olympic team and the Olympic spirit with great enthusiasm.
“And I absolutely love her courage. I love her character and I feel very disappointed for her that she came under the attack that she did.”
Gunn, a 36-year-old Australian university lecturer, has lost all three of her round-robin bouts by a combined score of 54-0.
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She works for Macquarie University in Sydney as a creative arts researcher specialising in ‘the cultural politics of breakdance’ and has a PhD in sport.
“In 2008 she was locked in a room and cried because she was the only woman in a male-dominated sport,” Meares said.
‘And it took a lot of courage for her to keep going and fight for her chance to participate in a sport she loved.
‘That’s why she won the Olympic qualifying event to be here in Paris.
“She’s the best female breakdancer we have in Australia.”