Not even Snoop Dogg could save breaking from falling flat on Olympic debut as Aussie becomes a global cult figure for all the wrong reasons
Rap superstar Snoop Dogg gave the Olympic debut some credibility, but viewers were unimpressed with the bland performances and lack of commentary.
The hip-hop icon was invited to open the new event for the 2024 Parios Olympics at the temporary stadium on Place de la Concorde and he showed off a few of his own moves to the delight of the crowd.
“Of all the places Snoop Dogg should be during the Olympics, this feels right,” one fan posted.
But the crowd, and Snoop with his oversized Olympic sunglasses, were somewhat disappointed after the disappointing start to the event at the Games.
“Why is it considered a sport?” one viewer asked.
‘This is a joke. Padel, futsal, cricket or roller hockey at home, while we have to pretend it’s a sport,’ posted another.
“Disgusting, shameful, disrespectful and disappointing,” fumed another.
Snoop Dogg wasn’t the only one who had trouble understanding the Olympics breaks
Viewers nicknamed this move by Australian Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn ‘The Tyrannosaurus’
Manizha Talash, who was on the run from the Taliban, was disqualified for exposing this protest
What made the disappointing start even worse was the lack of explanation from the commentators about what ‘breaking’ was, what the athletes’ moves were called and how the judges judged them.
“I was interested but the announcer kept saying, ‘Wow, what a great bleat, bleat, bleat’ and I just want to know what it all means,” one viewer posted.
“Haha yeah, the announcer was like ‘Wow, that’s a windmill in two thousand’ and I was like… if you say so, mate,” another replied.
“All the announcers do is get excited when good music comes on. They don’t help at all,” posted another.
Even self-proclaimed breakers found the spectacle confusing.
“I am against criticism and I agree that the commentators need to explain it better,” one person wrote.
There were some highlights, including moves by Japanese gold medalist Ami Yuasa and refugee activist Manizha Talash, who was disqualified for wearing a cape that read “Free Afghan Women.”
Although Raygun’s routine wasn’t up to the standard of the rest of the ‘B-Girls’, she had a lot of fun during her Olympic debut in Paris
However, Australian contestant Rachael Gunn, also known as Raygun, failed to score a single point and was eliminated from the heats without scoring a single point.
However, she did manage to make a name for herself on the internet, with a flood of responses to her bizarre and typically Australian routine – including a kangaroo dance.
“Australia just started a 40 year decline,” one viewer posted on the social media platform X.
“How did she get this far?” asked another.
“I want to personally thank Raygun for making millions of people worldwide think ‘Hey, maybe I can compete in the Olympics too,’” posted another.
“Honestly the competition was over as soon as Raygun showed her Kangaroo move,” added another.
“What my nephew does after he tells us all to ‘watch this,’” posted another.
The Australian became a household name overnight and was proud to represent her country
Although Raygun was outclassed, after years of hard work in her favorite sport, she instantly became an icon. She was proud to show her routine to a worldwide audience, even though she was not competitive.
“I wanted to come here and do something new, different and creative. That’s my strength, my creativity,” Gunn said.
“I could never beat these girls in what they do best: dynamics and power moves. That’s why I wanted to move differently, be artistic and creative. Because how many chances do you get in your life to do that on an international level?
‘I was always the underdog and wanted to make my mark in a different way.’