Raygun's family and coach raised concerns before disastrous Olympics as interview resurfaces
Comments made by Raygun prior to the 2024 Olympic Games have resurfaced in the wake of her viral breakdancing performances in Paris.
The 36-year-old Australian, whose real name is Dr Rachael Gunn, shot to fame for her unique breaking style at the Games.
The university lecturer lost all three of her battles, with her unorthodox routine – which included the sprinkler and kangaroo-inspired hopping – making her one of the most memorable athletes to compete at the Olympics this summer.
Her performances have divided opinion, particularly in Australia – where some have claimed that her inclusion made a mockery of the breakdancing scene in the country.
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Raygun recently hit back at her critics and said some of the hate she had received on social media had left her "devastated".
"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."
In an interview with CNBC prior to competing at the Games, Gunn said her family had previously raised concerns about her competing in breakdancing and would have 'preferred something that did not involve training on the streets at night'.
"They were happy that I was dancing again since so much time and money was spent when I was younger, but they would have preferred for me to take on a more feminine dance style," said Gunn, who had previous experience in ballet, tap and ballroom dancing.
She also revealed that her coach had his own reservations about her style of dance.
"My coach has criticised me for being a little too cautious in breaking, but it has paid off. I've never been seriously injured in breaking - only twinges that were very easily fixed by physiotherapy," she added.
"When I first started, I didn't have the upper body strength, or the strength at all, required to break and that's something I'm still building over the last 13 years."
The breakdancer, who is also a lecturer at Sydney's Macquarie University with a Ph.D in Cultural Studies, said her students were surprised to discover she would compete at the Olympics.
"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 checked Google and saw that I qualified," she added.
"When I was a guest lecturer at a different university this year, a few students came down at the end and asked for my autograph. That has never happened to me before, so it was definitely a new experience."
While Raygun has received criticism for her performances at the Games, others have come to her defence – including Te Hiiritanga Wepiha, who was on the judging panel that selected her for the Olympics.
Wepiha – who is also known by his breaking name Rush – said she had qualified through completely legitimate means.
On an Instagram Live, 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 responded to false claims that Raygun had created the breaking governing body that ran the Oceania qualifiers.
The false 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 Olympics.
Writing in the caption of his live video, 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."
Rory O'Callaghan