Paris Olympics fans slam breakdancing competition after Raygun’s disastrous performance – ‘Can we all agree this was a bad idea?’
Many sports fans are questioning whether the sport of breakdancing belongs in the Olympics, after dancer Rachael Gunn took the internet by storm with her eccentric dance moves.
Rachael Gunn, 36, has become an unexpected online sensation after she took to the stage during the first-ever ‘breaking’ competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics with moves that have been compared to a child falling to the ground and Homer Simpson running across the floor.
Gunn, who was introduced to the world as ‘Raygun’ – her bgirl moniker (‘breakgirl’) – lost out in Friday’s qualifying rounds to contestants half her age, but her showdown with France’s Syssy captured the attention of thousands of people.
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.
The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris will be the first time breakdancing will be included in the list of Olympic sports. However, it is not scheduled for the 2028 event in Los Angeles.
Ahead of the competition, former rap icon Ice-T shared his joy over the street performer’s participation on social media.
“Olympic BreakDancing starts today! 10am Eastern Time… This is going to blow the minds of people who haven’t seen breaking in a while… UNBELIEVABLE All respect to HIP-HOP,” he wrote.
However, countless fans have now called for the game to be removed from the Olympics, with many arguing that the game should not have been there in the first place.
Team Australia’s B-Girl Raygun competes in the B-Girls Round Robin
Many sports fans believe that breakdancing does not belong in the Olympic Games
“I tried to watch breaking again today, the men’s competition. Can we all just agree that was a bad idea? This shouldn’t be an Olympic sport,” posted one X user.
“Breakdancing should be banned from the Olympics as soon as it’s over. Never, ever, ever do that again,” said another.
‘The more I watch breakdancing the more I believe it should be removed from the Olympics. It’s actually embarrassing for athletes and anyone who has ever seen breakdancing,’ a third replied.
“I speak for everyone when I say breakdancing has no place in the Olympics,” wrote another.
According to Zack Slusser, vice president of Breaking for Gold USA and USA Dance, the fledgling sport was shut down early on because athletes couldn’t afford it.
“It was a miracle we were in Paris at all,” he said.
“But for the breakdancing community, it’s an achievement worth celebrating, even if the sport doesn’t return to the Olympic stage.”
However, Raygun remains optimistic about the sport and criticised organisers for removing the sport from the next Olympics without really giving it a chance.
“It was disappointing that the decision was made that the film wouldn’t be shown in LA, especially before we could even show it,” she said.
‘That might have been a bit premature. I wonder if they’re kicking themselves now?
‘What is an Olympic sport? What are the similarities between dressage and artistic swimming and the 100m sprint and the pentathlon?
Gunn, 36, took on breakers half her age as she took to the stage with her sometimes mind-boggling dance moves
Some of her moves left viewers confused, but she seems to have remained optimistic about her performance
‘Breaking is obviously athletic, it’s obviously a whole level of dedication on a number of different levels. It really brings a new level of excitement.’
In a scathing social media post, Gunn also slammed those who criticized her Olympic uniform, with some trolls claiming she looked like a tennis line official.
However, it is possible that her response gave the impression that she had misjudged the audience, as most of the criticism of her was about her performance and not her unremarkable outfit.
“I look forward to having the same level of oversight on what the bboys are doing. [male breakdancers] wear tomorrow,” she posted on Instagram, suggesting there was a sexist element to the negative comments.
In a separate message, she said: “Don’t be afraid to be different. Go out there and represent yourself, you never know where that will take you.”
World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) president Shawn Tay said the organisation was “deeply disappointed” at not being able to return to California in 2028, but he hopes the sport can return to Brisbane.
“Our campaign to be included in Brisbane 2032 has already begun and is being ably led by our First Vice Chairman and Australian Tony Tilenni,” said Tay.
‘The initial reactions from all participants to the presentations, including the Brisbane officials at the Australian Olympic Committee celebrations for the Paris 2024 Games, were very optimistic about our chances of being included in these Games.’