Controversial Olympic star Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn has passionately doubled down on her disaster performance at the Games in a bombshell world-first TV interview.
The embattled breakdancer, 36, became an overnight sensation for her comical routine at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which became the event’s most talked-about moment.
Her unique moves, which included kangaroo hopping and sliding across the floor, didn’t serve her well at the competition and saw her face an onslaught of ridicule as she was turned into a global meme.
Now, the internet sensation has given a world-first TV interview on the viral moment, appearing on The Project on Wednesday to discuss the ordeal with host Waleed Aly.
During the tell-all interview, Raygun doubled down on her viral routine – blaming it on a ‘lack of resources’ – before revealing she plans to step back from competing in a shock career move.
She also admitted she hasn’t even watched her now-infamous performance and hit out at her critics as she passionately insisted they don’t ‘understand’ breakdancing.
After accusations that she made a ‘mockery’ of breakdancing, Raygun took a swipe at her critics as she claimed they don’t understand her ‘artistic’ style and called for more resources to be given to the sport Down Under.
‘Unfortunately, we just need some more resources in Australia for us to have a chance to beat world champions,’ she shared.
‘You know, historically, unfortunately, we haven’t had the best track record of winning World Championships, so, you know, I don’t think that’s just on me.’
‘A lot of the responses, though, is just due to people not being very familiar with breaking and the diversity of approaches in breaking,’ she went on.
‘It was so fantastic that the next day the judging chair, MG, came out and explained that in the breaking community what I did actually wasn’t very shocking.
‘You know, it’s just a different approach in breaking. You have the athletic-style breakers and you also have the more artistic-style breakers and all of them are very valid.’
Though her performance has been widely viewed around the globe, Raygun admitted she hasn’t watched it amid the backlash.
‘I haven’t watched it back, no. That’s not unusual for me, though. I’m not great at watching back my battles,’ she shared.
‘It’s still gonna take some time. I think I’ve seen little bits and pieces, but, yeah, I’ll watch it eventually.’
Despite reports she could be fighting off TV offers, the sportswoman said she has no plans to compete again any time soon in a very surprising career move.
‘I don’t think I’ll be competing for a while…’ she shared.
‘It’s been a bit of a process to try and start dancing again. Like, that’s actually been tough. You know, it was my medicine, and then it turned into my source of stress!
During the tell-all chat, Waleed also confronted Raygun with claims from hip-hop star Spice that her performance ‘pushed’ breakdancing into the ‘Dark Ages’ and made a ‘mockery’ of the Aussie scene.
The question appeared to leave Raygun uncomfortable as she nervously responded to the claims by apologising to the entire breakdancing community.
‘It is really, um, sad to hear those criticisms,’ she shared.
‘I am very sorry for, you know, the backlash that the community has experienced. But I can’t control how people react.’
Amid the storm of criticism, Raygun was also forced to dismiss wild allegations and ‘misinformation’ about how she earned her spot in Paris, including an online petition which was denounced by the Australian Olympic Committee.
Addressing the conspiracy theories, Raygun poured cold water over the claims and slammed the anger and ‘vitriol’ directed towards herself and her loved ones.
She insisted she hadn’t known any of the judges previously and that she earned her position on the team as she hit out at the backlash.
Admitting it has not been an easy time, Raygun said she has sought out mental health support and taken herself off social media in the wake of the online storm.
‘Fortunately, I got some mental health support pretty quickly and I also went off social media, I went off the internet,’ she candidly shared.
‘But it’s pretty up-and-down, but it’s also just hard to process it all, honestly. Like, it’s just still pretty hard to process.
‘It’s been a pretty wild ride I’m not going to lie, I definitely have had my ups and downs, my good and bad days.’
Waleed also hinted at the criticism she received for being one of the select few athletes sent to the Olympics, asking Raygun: ‘Do you genuinely think you are the best female breaker in Australia?’
To which Raygun replied: ‘Well, I think my record speaks to that.’
The Macquarie University researcher also described soaring to global fame as ‘wild’ as she addressed her newfound status, which has seen her chased by cameras and reportedly be lined up for multiple TV offers.
‘That was really wild,’ she admitted. ‘If people are chasing me, what do I do? But that really did put me in a state of panic.’
American chat show host Jimmy Fallon famously mocked her routine on TV, and Raygun said she was left with ‘mixed emotions’ over his savage comedy sketch.
‘I don’t know whether to, like, hug him or yell at him! Because what a platform he ended up giving me, like, honestly,’ she said.
‘I haven’t actually seen the sketch ’cause I don’t think I’m in a place yet to watch it, but I will watch it at some point.
‘And, you know, a few different people have kind of explained it to me and given me different takes on it.
‘But I’m still in the process of being able to describe how I feel about all this stuff because it kind of feels like a really weird dream that I’ve been having that I’m gonna wake up from at any moment. Like, what is life right now?!’
However, she noted that the global fame has also come with positives, including getting messages from ‘random people’ who never would have otherwise known her.
Despite her insisting she has no desire to stay in the spotlight, a TV insider recently claimed she could secure appearances on some top rating reality shows.
‘The future of one of the world’s most talked about Australians, Raygun, is currently being negotiated with multiple TV offers,’ a source told Yahoo Lifestyle.
It was also claimed that networks are competing to lock her down for exclusive appearances on Australia’s best-known channels.
‘They are looking for exclusive-network-deals that could be 12 to 24 months long, blocking out other opportunities from competing programming,’ they explained.
Calling her one of the most ‘sought after names’ in Australia, another source said the competing networks could cast Raygun on a ‘celebrity’ show like SAS Australia or Dancing with the Stars.
‘A number of talent agents have been circling the viral superstar ever since her memorable dance at the Paris Olympics went viral,’ they added.
‘The exact direction she will take will be revealed any day now and whichever network she signs with will be quite telling.’
Reports have already been circulating that Dancing with the Stars bosses are desperate to sign Raygun for the upcoming season.
Speaking to DailyMail.com, an insider revealed the show is keen to offer Raygun the chance to capitalise on her Olympics disaster and overhaul her image to no longer be the ‘laughingstock’.
‘Dancing with the Stars has had its fair share of amazing dancers, awful dancers and just pop culture for years and Raygun is now one of their targets for the upcoming season,’ they shared.
‘People extend their fifteen minutes on Dancing with the Stars, and when it comes to Raygun, producers would love to talk to her and see if she would be a good fit for the upcoming season.
‘Dancing with the Stars loves being the show where people redeem themselves and this could be the perfect avenue for Rachael to not be a laughingstock anymore.’
Though she faced an onslaught of online ridicule, a marking expert predicted that Raygun could cash in on her fame and earn millions of dollars.
However, they also warned that she has already been slow off the mark to maximise her earning potential from her moment in the spotlight.
‘Raygun has had some of the biggest stars in the world talking about her and doing impressions of her,’ the expert said.
‘If she was taking this seriously, she should have already done five international talk shows by now.’
She has already signed up with influencer marketing agency Born Bred Talent, who represent some of Australia and New Zealand’s biggest social media stars.
Raygun also made a surprise appearance during the TV Week Logies telecast last month, encouraging winning nominees to try out her ‘signature moves’.
‘Just want to say congrats to all the Logies nominees,’ she said in the pre-recorded video message.
‘Feel free to pull out any of my signature moves in celebration. Have fun and look after each other.’
Earlier in his opening monologue, host Sam Pang had a dig at Raygun as he poked fun at her disaster Olympics routine.
‘Meanwhile, Raygun’s parents have promised to get her breakdancing lessons,’ Pang quipped, referencing Australia’s youngest-ever Olympics Gold Medal winner Arisa Trew’s parents promising her a pet duck as a reward.
Raygun has not yet returned to Australia after the Olympics and is currently on a pre-planned European holiday with her breaking coach husband Samuel Free.
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Source: Tampa Bay Times
