A political activist has criticised Olympic breakdancer Rachael Gunn, claiming her selection is symbolic of “whiteness” in Australian sport.
Questions have been raised since Ms Gunn, also known as Raygun, took to the stage at the Paris Olympics last Saturday with a performance that failed to earn a single point from the judges.
While many Australians, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, supported Raygun for her ‘go for it’ attitude, others were outraged by her low scores and sometimes bizarre performances.
Many people asked about the qualifying process and how Ms. Gunn had progressed so far, despite the fact that her skills were clearly inferior to those of the other competitors in Paris.
Neha Madhok, co-founder of political action group Democracy in Colour, said Raygun was chosen as a reflection of the ‘whiteness’ of Australian sporting culture.
“There are incredible dancers in places like Western Sydney (just one example) where Black and coloured people are honing their skills and craft in arenas not recognised by established institutions,” Ms Madhok wrote on social media.
‘This is a reflection of the whiteness of Australian sport and Australian attitudes.
‘We could have sent incredible people, the talent is absolutely there, but you have to go to the people.
An Australian activist has targeted Australian Olympic cult heroine Rachael Gunn (pictured) after she failed to score a single point in three breakdancing battles
The activist claimed Ms Gunn’s choice to represent Australia is a ‘reflection of the whiteness of Australian sport’
“It’s such a shame that Australia is once again sending a mediocre white person to represent us on the world stage as we can’t find the real talent amongst First Nations and PoC.”
Raygun, a lecturer at Macquarie University, published a dissertation entitled ‘Deterritorialising Gender in Sydney’s Breakdancing Scene: A B-girl’s Experience of B-boying’.
The thesis questioned why there were so few female participants in the male-dominated world of sport, but spoke of sport as a ‘space that embraces difference’.
However, Ms. Madhok did not seem impressed with Raygun’s academic work.
“What the world needs to understand is that Raygun represents a very specific and uniquely Australian white woman in academia,” Madhok said.
‘Someone so determined to “decolonize” that she has gone all the way back to colonizing.’
Mrs Gunn jumped like a kangaroo, gaped at her opponent and sprayed, but failed to score a single point in her three heats.
Although her classic breakdancing style won her the Oceania Championship, she said she wanted to distinguish herself at the Olympics.
“I could never beat these girls on what they do best, the momentum and the power moves,” Gunn said after her event.
‘So I wanted to move differently, be artistic and creative, because how many opportunities do you get in your life to do that on an international level.’
Although Raygun retreated from the spotlight following her performance and the social media storm, she still joined her fellow Olympians at the closing ceremony on Sunday.
Her teammates cheered loudly as the breakdancer re-enacted her iconic moves while being lifted onto the shoulders of Australian rower Angus Widdicombe.
Back home, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Gunn when asked about criticism of her handling.
“Raygun made a good move, well done and a big compliment to her,” he told reporters in Adelaide on Sunday.
“That’s in the Australian tradition of people trying. She’s tried to represent our country, and that’s a good thing.
“Whether they won gold medals or just did their best, that’s all we asked. It’s the participation that really matters.”