Legendary go-getter Samson Smith has lifted the lid on Raygun’s dance background after making a surprising confession about the Australian’s infamous Olympic performance
Raygun, whose real name is Rachael Gunn, has been widely criticized after scoring zero points in the first women’s competition last weekend, with clips of her routine going viral on social media for all the wrong reasons.
The married university lecturer of 36 years has been the target of criticism from television and keyboard warfare experts not only for her performances, but also for her appearances on social media and in some mainstream media.
The negative reactions even led to Australian Olympic mission leader Anna Meares and later Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressing their support for Raygun.
The Raygun controversy continues to dominate headlines, overshadowing Australia’s best ever Olympic result
However, Smith of Australian breakdance group Justice Crew believes Raygun’s legendary moves will live on and insists he will incorporate them into his routines.
“Oh, we’ll definitely incorporate that,” he said on The Project when asked if he’d mimic Raygun’s kangaroo move.
“I’ve seen her fight, I’ve seen her win, I’ve seen her lose. Seeing her play in the Olympics… that’s just her style. That’s her style, she wins and she loses. She lost all the points, which is perfectly fine with us. We go into a fight, we win, we lose, that’s it.”
Samson Smith says he will incorporate Raygun’s moves into his breakdance routines
The Australian Olympian has been widely ridiculed after her performance in Paris
Smith reflected on the negative reactions, saying, “The fact that she went so viral, and the way she’s still going viral, the way everyone’s still talking about her… it’s a huge disappointment because they’re not talking about the winners.
‘They’re not talking about the gold medal winners, the silver medal winners, the bronze medal winners… they’re all talking about Raygun’s memes and they haven’t even seen her whole set yet.
‘They just look at her memes and judge her based on her slow movements and the sprinkler, which just fits her character.
‘That’s just her personality, that’s her character, and the general public laughs at it. The memes that everyone comes up with are crazy.
“At the end of the day, she’s just a human being who wants to show her creativity.”
The Australian public is divided over Raygun’s participation in the competition as Australia’s representative.
But Smith says he will “definitely” incorporate Raygun’s kangaroo move into his dances
Australians are divided over Raygun’s selection in the competition. She earned her spot through a qualification process, but some argue it disadvantages communities in Australia
She is currently the best female breakdancer in the country, having earned her spot through the qualification process. However, a social media account by the name of @MadhokNeha claims that the break setup is detrimental to certain communities in Australia.
“There are incredible dancers in places like Western Sydney (just one example), where Black and people of colour are honing their skills and craft in arenas that are not recognised by established institutions,” she said.
“It’s a reflection of the whiteness of Australian sport and the Australian attitude. We could have sent incredible people, the talent is absolutely there, but you have to go to the people who are there.”
However, others praised Raygun for trying her best.
“Props to Raygun for having the courage to come out,” suggested one social media user. “But this was the most secondhand embarrassment I’ve ever felt.”
“Raygun from Australia is actually my Olympic hero,” added another.
Shortly after her performance on the world stage, Raygun broke her silence by share a cryptic message on Instagram.
She reposted a post from the “Breaking for Gold” account, quoting herself: “Don’t be afraid to be different. Go out there and represent yourself, you never know where that will take you.”