Although the 2024 Paris Olympics were full of iconic moments, there were few that were as talked about as Rachael Gunn’s breakdancing performance. Rachael, who performs under the nickname Raygun, competed for Australia and delivered a performance that led to many memes and many questions about the dancer’s credibility.

Raygun has represented Australia in breakdancing competitions several times throughout her career and qualified for the Olympics at the 2023 Oceania Breaking Championships in Sydney. But why did she dance like that during her Olympics performance?

Raygun has repeatedly defended her performance at the Paris Olympics, pointing out that much of her performance was based on “creativity.”

“All my movements are original,” Raygun said loudly ESPN“Creativity is really important to me. I go out there and show my artistic ability. Sometimes it appeals to the judges, sometimes it doesn’t. I do my thing and it represents art. That’s what it’s about.”

Outside of her Olympic achievements, Raygun is an academic who studied music and dance, specializing in breakdancing. Her doctoral thesis was entitled Deterritorializing Gender in Sydney’s Breakdance Scene: A B-Girl’s Experiences of B-Boying, She studies the “intersection of gender and Sydney’s breakdancing culture.” Although she didn’t receive any points for her performance at the Olympics, breakdancing has long been her specialty in the professional arena.