Judge reveals what judging panel really thought of Raygun before disastrous Olympics and it speaks volumes
A judge from New Zealand has revealed the thoughts of the breaking community on Raygun and her controversial performance at the Olympic Games.
After over two weeks of the most talented athletes in the world competing against each other, the 2024 Paris Olympic Games are over.
But while the medal winners impressed viewers, the star of the Games was undoubtedly Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn, or Raygun, after her performances in Paris went viral online.
And now a breaking judge from Oceania has spoken out about her performance.
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Speaking on an Instagram Live, Kiwi judge Te Hiiritanga Wepiha praised Raygun for her courage in performing at the Games and confirmed that she had qualified to compete through completely legitimate means.
He said: “All us judges talked about how she was going to get smashed, absolutely smashed [at the Olympics]… She knew it was going to be rough, so it's actually courageous of her."
Wepiha - also known by his nickname 'Rush' also responded to recent false claims that Raygun had created the breaking governing body which ran the Oceania qualifiers.
The claims also stated that Gunn's husband, who is also a breaker, was on the judging panel that selected her to represent Australia at the Olympic Games.
Writing in the caption of his livestream, Wepiha said: "Dispelling some of the misinformation that is being spread. If you’ve been sharing that bs petition around just because it suits your narrative… shame on you!!
"Spreading misinformation discredits your cause. We need to do better."
Raygun recently broke her silence after the Games as she responded to the online criticism and memes.
Speaking on her Instagram account, the 36-year-old said: "I wanted to start by thanking all the people who supported me," she said.
"I really appreciate the positivity and was glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives. That's what I hoped.
"I didn't realise that would also open the door to so much hate which has frankly been pretty devastating.
"I went out there and I had fun. I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off working for the Olympics. I gave my all, truly."
The negativity towards Gunn culminated in an online petition demanding she apologise for her performance which was signed by 50,000 people.
Topics: Olympics
Ben McCrum