Su-Lin Tan

My Take | Australia’s Raygun Olympic saga simmers over demand for answers from the top

Australians have no issue with Olympian Rachael Gunn aka Raygun, their grouse is with the lack of accountability from sports authorities

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Australia’s Rachael Gunn aka Raygun competes in the women’s breaking dance round robin of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on August 9. Photo: AFP

Su-Lin Tanin Singapore

Published: 10:30am, 23 Aug 2024

Australia has a soft spot for underdogs. But when it comes to Rachael Gunn aka Raygun, the nation’s unorthodox contender in this year’s Olympic breakdancing debut, controversy has muddied that affection.

Clips of Raygun’s unconventional moves at the Paris Games went viral, as did online hate and conspiracy theories over whether she was Australia’s best female breakdancer.

Lest we forget, Australia’s male entry J Attack or Jeff Dunne was on form but didn’t rack up as many memes - the tabloid measure of fame - as Raygun.

The biggest Raygun controversy involved a now-removed online petition that claimed her entry into the Olympics was a set-up. Before it was withdrawn, the petition received more signatures than others on the same platform calling for visas for refugees or harsher sentencing for sexual offenders.

But since the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) shot off a stern note last week telling haters to zip it, most of the bullying comments have ceased. But the nattering about Raygun at street corners and dinner parties has not.

At the mention of Raygun, the floodgates opened for some football aficionados I spoke to at a Sydney pizza shop.