Olympics

Australian breakdancer ‘Raygun’ goes viral after bizarre Olympics performance

Breakdancer Rachel “Raygun” Gunn stole the show at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Friday. 

Although she didn’t receive a single vote from the judges and lost each of her group matches, the 36-year-old college professor went viral for her bizarre breaking performance.

Raygun bounced around the stage, standing on her head and rolling around on her shoulder at points in one of the most memorable, if not successful, performances of these Summer Games, instantly making her an internet sensation.

Raygun of Australia in action. REUTERS

The Australian dancer, who didn’t start breaking until her mid-20s, acknowledged her unique style in an interview with CNBC before her Olympic debut. 


2024 PARIS OLYMPICS


“My specialty is style and creativity, not dynamics or power moves like many other dancers,” Raygun told the outlet. “I’ve ticked most of these boxes because it’s my specialty. I don’t know if it’s going to be valued as much as some of the other criteria, but I hope people are still wowed by what I bring since it’s something different.”

Raygun of Team Australia competes during the B-Girls Round Robin – Group B on day fourteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Place de la Concorde on August 09, 2024 in Paris, France. Getty Images
Raygun of Team Australia reacts during the B-Girls Round Robin – Group B on day fourteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Place de la Concorde on August 9, 2024. Getty Images

Even as she became an internet meme and got no love from the Olympic judges, Raygun didn’t let herself get down. 

“Look, I came into the event kind of expecting that I wouldn’t get a vote,” Gunn told Yahoo Sports after the event.

“It was amazing. Such an amazing experience. What a stage, what an arena, what a crowd. Music was great. Like, oh, so, so grateful for the opportunity.