Australian breakdancer ‘Raygun’ has shared her reaction to being mocked online for her performance in the breakdancing competition at the Paris Olympics.

Clips of Raygun’s routine went viral on social media as viewers discussed her unique performance. One particular move, which some dubbed “kangaroo” in light of the 36-year-old athlete’s home country, became a meme.

Raygun, whose name is Rachael Gunn, spoke about the reaction to her performance in an Instagram video she shared on August 15.

“I want to start by thanking all the people who have supported me,” she said. “I really appreciate the positivity and I’m glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives. That’s what I hoped for.”

“I didn’t realize that it would also open the door to so much hate, which was honestly pretty devastating,” she continued. “Well, I went out there and had fun. I took it very seriously. I worked my ass off preparing for the Olympics and really gave it my all.”

She added that she is currently travelling around Europe for a “planned break” and will answer any questions upon her return to Australia.

“I would really like to ask the press to please stop harassing my family, my friends, the Australian breakdancing community and the wider street dance community,” she said. “Everyone has been through a lot because of this, so I ask that you please respect their privacy.”

Breaking made its debut during the final week of the Summer Games and captured the internet’s attention. Although Team USA’s Victor Montalvo, Sunny Choi, Logan Edra and Jeffrey Louis proudly represented the United States, Raygun took center stage at their August 9 event.

But while many were making fun of the dancer, rumors were circulating questioning Raygun’s legitimacy. After an unsubstantiated claim that the Australian had “rigged” the selection process gained popularity on X, the Australian Breaking Organization released a statement denying the allegation.

“The selection process for Australia’s breaking team for Paris lasted two days and was open to all interested participants in the Oceania region,” the organization said in a statement posted on its website on August 13. “Adhering to World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) regulations, which are consistent with International Olympic Committee (IOC) standards, the process aimed to ensure a fair and transparent outcome.”

The organization further stated that the same evaluation criteria would apply to the selection of Olympic participants in Oceania in October 2023 as for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

“Ultimately, Rachael Gunn and Jeff Dunne emerged as the best competitors through the same process, securing their places to represent Australia in Paris. Their selection was based solely on their performance in their bouts on the day,” the organisation said.

In her Instagram video, Raygun referred to the Australian Breaking Organization’s statement “regarding the allegations and misinformation circulating.”

The organisation also praised Raygun for using her platform as a member of Team Australia to advocate for greater education about breaking and its origins.

“We condemn the global online harassment and bullying of Raygun. The pressure to perform on the Olympic stage is enormous, especially against opponents in their particular group. We stand in solidarity with Raygun,” the organization concluded.

In the breaking competition on August 9, Raygun competed against Edra from the USA, Dominika Banevič from Lithuania and Sya Dembélé from France.

Japan’s Ami Yuasa took gold, Banevič silver and China’s Liu Qingyi bronze. Raygun finished in 16th place but soon became a trending topic on social media. One of her moves that went viral was a backward roll with a side pose and toe touches. She also pulled out the sprinkler. She radiated confidence on stage as she showed off her skills and seemingly became a rising star.

“‘Raygun’ from Australia is actually my Olympic hero,” tweeted @coso9001.

User @_Quezare also wrote: “Can we PLEASE get Raygun as our flag bearer for the closing ceremony? I’ve never been more proud to be Australian #BreakingForGold #Olympics.”

Even Adele mentioned Raygun during her concert on August 10 in Munich, Germany, and called the Australian’s performance “the best thing that happened at the Olympics.”

“That’s all my friends and I talked about last night after the show and today.”

After captivating the world, Raygun posted a quote on her Instagram that read, “Don’t be afraid to be different, go out and represent yourself, you never know where it will take you.”

Hours later, she returned to Instagram Stories with a text post saying she was “looking forward to the same critical scrutiny of what the b-boys are wearing tomorrow.” While her moves were the talk of the town on social media, so was her outfit.

On August 10, Australia’s Chef de Mission Anna Meares spoke at a press conference about Raygun’s virality on social media and the online criticism that followed her performance.

“Raygun is an absolutely beloved member of this Olympic team. She has represented the Olympic team and the Olympic spirit with great enthusiasm. And I love her courage. I love her character and I’m very disappointed for her that she was attacked like that,” Meares said during the conference, according to ESPN.

So who is Rachael Gunn, AKA Raygun, the breaker from Australia? Read on to find out more and see what she said about qualifying for the Summer Olympics.

She is a professor

According to CNBC, the Olympian is not only a professional breakdancer, but also a lecturer at Macquarie University in Sydney and has a doctorate in cultural studies.

“In 2023, many of my students didn’t believe me when I told them I was training to qualify for the Olympics and were shocked when they looked on Google and saw that I had qualified,” she said.

Raygun told the publication that her teaching and research focuses on breaking, hip-hop and gender stereotypes surrounding these dance styles.

She has already represented Australia

Making it to the Olympics is no easy task. Raygun, considered the country’s best breaker, proudly represented Australia at the World Breaking Championships in 2021, 2022 and 2023, according to CNBC. She finished 64th out of 80 breakers.

She dreamed of participating in the Olympic Games

The breaker has worked “harder than ever” to qualify for the Games in Paris.

“In breakdancing, you never know what’s going to happen on the day itself. You always have to be prepared. I knew the stakes were higher for the Olympic qualifiers, so I prepared 10 different sets and made sure I incorporated all the elements and moves into the rounds,” she told CNBC. “I really, really wanted it, and that’s why I fought really hard throughout the competition and just gave it my all.”

She danced at a young age and started breakdancing later in life

Throughout her life, Raygun has tried many styles of dance, from ballet to tap, and only started breakdancing later in her life.

Her then-boyfriend, now husband and trainer, introduced her to breakdancing when she was 20 after he saw that she picked up the beat and rhythm of the music faster than other students.

Since then, she has worked on her upper body strength and her specialty, which she describes as “style and creativity, not dynamics or power moves like many other dancers.”

She hopes to inspire other generations of dancers

Raygun noted in her interview that breakdancing was seen as “a bit of a joke” in Australia. But now that it’s officially been included in the Olympics, she hopes it will motivate more people to try out the dance style.

“We are inspiring a whole new generation of people to start breakdancing. It’s so exciting for us and we just want to share this culture, this dance and this sport,” she said.

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This article was originally published on TODAY.com.