Who’s Raygun? Meet the viral Australian breakdancer

Breaking emerged as a brand new class at this yr’s Paris Olympics 2024, with the intention of its inclusion being to have interaction and “join with the younger technology”, in response to the Worldwide Olympic Committee’s President Thomas Bach.

Although the sport is not set to be on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics program, it is protected to say that this effort has efficiently engaged TikTok, with the class making for a number of main viral moments, together with the introduction of the web to Australian breakdancer Raygun.

Raygun, AKA Rachael Gunn, caught folks’s consideration at this yr’s Olympics for her various dance strikes that included every thing from the sprinkler to maybe her most divisive transfer – the kangaroo hop.

However who’s Raygun and the way did she come to compete? This is every thing to know in regards to the Australian breakdancer who has achieved icon standing regardless of scoring 0 on the Video games.

Ezra Shaw

Who’s Raygun?

Greatest identified by her stage identify Raygun, 36-year-old Rachael Gunn competed at this yr’s Olympics in breaking on behalf of Australia.

Whereas her summary type of breaking divided opinion on-line, there’s much more to Gunn’s story.

Born in 1987, when she’s not dancing Raygun is a tutorial whose analysis centres on the origin of breaking tradition.

With a previous background in jazz and ballroom dancing, Raygun first took up breakdancing in her twenties by means of the 2010s earlier than taking time to concentrate on her PhD in cultural research. Nonetheless, Raygun continued breaking over this time with the help of her fellow breakdancer husband.

Although breaking will not seem on the 2028 Video games, Raygun is hopeful that the class will return when her nation is ready to host the 2032 Olympics.

Gunn certified to compete within the 2024 Olympics on the WDSF Oceania Breaking Championships, together with her deeper information of the roots of breaking little doubt serving to her alongside the best way.