Breakdancing made its historic Olympic debut at the 2024 Paris Summer Games—but it wasn’t just the dancesport’s introduction that turned heads. That August, Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn, competitively known as Raygun, went viral for her unconventional breaking routine, featuring unique moves like the Kangaroo Hop.
Raygun’s performance, which scored zero points, quickly became a global meme. Facing both mockery and ridicule, she soon found herself the target of online bullying and wild conspiracy theories. In the new Netflix documentary Untold Raygun: Breaking Badly, Raygun revisits the Olympic routine that broke the internet.
Here’s what you should know about Raygun and her offbeat path to the Olympics.
Who Is Raygun and How Did She Become a Breakdancer?
Rachael Louise Gunn was born on September 2, 1987, in Hornsby, New South Wales, Australia. Growing up, she practiced more traditional dance styles, training and competing in jazz, tap, and ballroom. She didn't get into breakdancing until she was 20 years old.
Introduced to breakdancing by her now-husband Samuel Free, the Australian native was inspired to pursue the male-dominated dancesport seriously after watching a fellow B-girl, or female breakdancer, fearlessly breakdance in front of a group of men. She entered her first competition a few years later in 2012 and began going by the moniker Raygun—a combination of her first and last name.
After taking a break to earn her PhD in cultural studies at Sydney’s Macquarie University in 2017, she returned to breakdancing the following year while taking a job as a lecturer at her alma mater. But her first competition back didn’t go as planned. “I got knocked out in the top eight,” Raygun told The Guardian in April 2024. “Sammy was like, ‘you didn’t really train hard enough though, you’ve just got to get better.’”
It wasn’t long before her renewed determination paid off.
How Did Raygun Qualify for the Olympics?
Raygun was named the top B-girl by the Australian Breaking Association in 2020 and 2021 and represented Australia at the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) Breaking Championships in 2021 and 2022. She went on to win the gold medal at the 2023 WDSF Oceania Breaking Championship, which secured her qualification to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“My training really amped up,” Raygun recalled to Australian Women’s Weekly in August 2026. “It was just one of those things where I was going to train hard, but my goal was to get better and be the best I can be.”
Why Did Raygun Go Viral at the Olympics?
On August 9, 2024, Raygun competed in the historic breaking event at the Summer Olympics in Paris. The breakdancer quickly went viral for her unorthodox and non-fluid routine, which included moves like the Kangaroo Hop and The Sprinkler, as well as floor rolls and limb extensions.
Raygun scored zero points in her three round-robin battles and became an overnight meme and global phenomenon, facing both ridicule and mockery online.
“I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best, the dynamic and the power moves, so I wanted to move differently, be artistic and creative because how many chances do you get that in a lifetime to do that on an international stage,” she said at an ESPN news conference shortly after her Olympic debut.
But Raygun’s creativity soon fueled conspiracy theories, including that her Olympic qualifying event was rigged, with many falsely claiming her husband was a judge. Others suggested Raygun intentionally sabotaged her routine in order to mock the Olympics. These allegations ultimately culminated in a Change.org petition calling for Raygun to be held accountable for “unethical conduct.” Gathering 50,000 signatures, the petition was deemed “defamatory” by the Australian Olympic Committee and was swiftly taken down.
Where Is Raygun Now?
Raygun, now 38, is retired from competitive breakdancing and has since left academia to pursue public speaking. In an interview with CNN this August, she reflected on her experience at the Olympics and the controversy that ensued, revealing that it took a toll on her mental health.
“When I went viral, it was surreal. It made me feel kind of sick in the stomach—this sense of dread,” Raygun said. “I just thought: ‘Surely, this is not actually happening.’”
While it took her a while to watch her viral performance back in full, she’s finally seen it and thinks “it’s not as bad” as she thought. Now, thanks to therapy and meditation, the Olympian is ready to move on.
“Paris is now just a part of my story,” Raygun continued. “For me, it’s more about radical acceptance of everything that’s happened and just one foot in front of the other, just trying to move ahead.”
Watch Untold Raygun: Breaking Badly
Untold Raygun: Breaking Badly looks back on Raygun’s Olympic debut and the subsequent criticism and harassment she endured. The latest installment of Netflix’s sports documentary series premieres September 1.
Catherine Caruso joined the Biography.com staff in August 2024, having previously worked as a freelance journalist for several years. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she studied English literature. When she’s not working on a new story, you can find her reading, hitting the gym, or watching too much TV.
