Who Is Raygun? Meet the Olympic Aussie Breakdancer Who Went Viral for Her Dance Moves (2024)

Raygun may not have left the 2024 Paris Olympics with a medal, but she did make her impact.

The Australian breakdancer, whose real name is Rachael Gunn, made headlines after her performance on Aug. 9 as some critics called out her unique dance moves.

One social media user joked on X (formerly Twitter) that her moves were reminiscent of "me tryna get the duvet off when i’m too hot at night,” while another wrote they looked like "what my nephew does after telling all of us to 'watch this.' "

However, the criticism didn’t get to Raygun, who was proud to represent Australia despite earning 0 points against her opponents.

"It is such an honor and a privilege to be, you know, one of sixteen women from around the world competing in breaking’s debut at the Olympics," Gunn said in an Instagram video shared the day before her performance. "I hope that seeing breaking at the Olympics inspires a whole new generation of breakers."

So who is Raygun? Here’s everything to know about the Olympic breakdancer from Australia.

She has a doctorate degree in cultural studies

Raygun isn’t only a professional dancer in practice — she also has a degree in researching the sport. The breaker studied contemporary music and cultural studies at Macquarie University and continued her passion at the university’s graduate school. She received a doctorate in media, music, communications and cultural studies, with the focus of her research being primarily on the “cultural politics of breaking,” per her LinkedIn.

Raygun is a professor at Macquarie University

Raygun continued her studies in breakdancing as a lecturer at Macquarie University in the department of media, communications, creative arts, literature and language. She has published a number of papers on the culture of hip hop and street dance, while also maintaining a career as a professional breakdancer.

In an August 2024 episode of The Female Athlete Project podcast, Raygun shared how she balances her day job as a professor and her career as a dancer.

“I feel like my bag always has two main things: my knee pads and my laptop,” she said. “Because I need my knee pads to break and then just do some emails quickly.”

She added that the balance is all about “finding snatches of time” to do work.

Her husband introduced her to breakdancing

The Australian athlete was first introduced to her sport through her husband, Samuel Free, who is also a breakdancer. According to her Olympic profile, Raygun was a jazz and ballroom dancer before she became a professional in breaking.

“I got into breaking through my boyfriend, who’s now my husband,” she said in an April 2024 collaboration interview with The Iconic AU. “But he was always very encouraging of me to try it out and to learn the moves.”

Free also acts as Raygun’s coach, and the two even occasionally dance together. In September 2023, Free posted a video of them performing a routine, even sharing a quick kiss in the middle.

After she qualified for the Olympics in November 2023, Raygun included a tribute to her husband and coach in the caption.

“I have to give the biggest shout out to my coach and partner @sammy_the_free , who has supported me every step of the way - from when I was a shy girl at the side of his training sessions encouraging me to start breaking, to the pep talk before the Oceania final,” she wrote, referring to her 2023 win at the Oceania Championship.

She’s inspired by being a female in a “male-dominated sport”

In addition to inspiration from her husband, Raygun said she’s motivated to succeed in breakdancing as a woman in a primarily male sport. However, it’s still something she struggles with.

“I think my biggest obstacle would be breaking into a male-dominated sport,” she told The Iconic AU. “One of the reasons I decided to start training breaking seriously was because I saw a girl in a room full of guys get down and break, and that was the moment that inspired me.”

She came in last place in the 2024 Olympics

After qualifying for the Olympics in November 2023 and becoming one of the first 16 women to compete in breaking during its debut at the games, Raygun came in 16th place at the event in August 2024. She competed in three rounds of the Round Robin portion of the competition in which she went one-on-one with another b-girl as the judges determined who performed the best moves and matched the music most effectively.

Her moves quickly went viral as she included some unique steps in her routine. Many criticized her performance, while some lauded it for its entertainment value.

"There has not been an Olympic performance this dominant since Usain Bolt’s 100m sprint at Beijing in 2008," one X user joked. "Honestly, the moment Raygun broke out her Kangaroo move this competition was over! Give her the #breakdancing gold 🥇."

She ultimately earned 0 points against her three competitors: Team USA's b-girl Logistx, France's Syssy and Lithuania's Nicka.

Raygun clapped back at critics after her Olympic performance

Despite people’s mockery of her performance on social media, Raygun is proud of her accomplishments at the Olympics and clapped back at naysayers saying otherwise.

"I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best — their power moves," Raygun told ESPN after her performance. "What I bring is creativity."

She added that all her moves are “original” and that she shows her “creativity” through her “artistry.”

“Sometimes it speaks to the judges, and sometimes it doesn't,” Raygun said. “I do my thing, and it represents art. That is what it is about."

Australia's chef de mission Anna Meares also spoke out in her defense, calling some of the criticism she’s faced “sexist,” per ESPN.

"I love Rachael, and I think that what has occurred on social media with trolls and keyboard warriors, and taking those comments and giving them airtime, has been really disappointing," Meares said. "Raygun is an absolutely loved member of this Olympic team. She has represented the Olympic team, the Olympic spirit with great enthusiasm. And I absolutely love her courage. I love her character, and I feel very disappointed for her, that she has come under the attack that she has."

She added that her “courage” to continue fighting in a “male-dominated sport” led to her position at the Olympics and that she was the “best breakdancer female” they had for Australia.