Rachael “Raygun” Gunn has made an apology to the breaking neighborhood whereas stating that her “document speaks” to being Australia’s greatest B-girl, in her first sit-down interview since her controversial look on the Paris Olympics made world headlines.
The Australian breakdancer and Macquarie College educational was on the centre of a world wave of controversy after she was knocked out of the round-robin stage of the occasion for her efficiency routine that included hopping like a kangaroo and flailing on the ground.
Within the interview, which aired on The Venture on Wednesday night time, Gunn apologised to the breakdancing neighborhood after the criticism she had broken the artwork type’s repute.
“There’s been a portion of very indignant and, you already know, terrible responses, not solely attacking me however attacking my husband, attacking my crew, attacking the breaking and avenue dance neighborhood in Australia, my household,” she instructed The Venture.
“The vitality and vitriol that individuals had was fairly alarming.”
Gunn additionally impressed a sketch on US comic Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Present, one thing she described as evoking “blended feelings”. She added she was not “in a spot but to look at it”.
“I don’t know whether or not to hug him or yell at him as a result of – what a platform he ended up giving me, truthfully,” she instructed host Waleed Aly about Fallon.
“I haven’t truly seen the sketch as a result of I don’t suppose I’m in a spot but to look at it, however I’ll watch it sooner or later.”
The 36-year-old additionally revealed Richard Branson had known as her within the wake of the efficiency to inform her he thought it was “plucky and brave and enjoyable” – asking her if she would carry out on a cruise with musician Boy George.
Gunn additionally addressed the disapproval from inside the breaking neighborhood, with some claiming she had set again the development of the game.
“It’s actually unhappy to listen to these criticisms, and I’m very sorry for the backlash that the neighborhood has skilled, however I can’t management how folks react.”
When requested if she thinks she is one of the best feminine breaker within the nation, Gunn responded: “I feel my document speaks to that”.
Requested by Aly if there was irony within the reality Gunn has written about how breakdancing got here from marginalised communities, but a white individual was despatched to the Olympics, Gunn mentioned: “There’s numerous white b-girls in Australia”.
“I don’t know what it’s about us white girls and being drawn to breaking. I feel even when it went to the second or third, that it nonetheless would have been a white b-girl representing.
“That’s one thing that we’re all the time reflecting on – how can we get extra folks into breaking?”
Gunn mentioned she certified for the Olympics by profitable the Oceania qualifier, the place she didn’t know the judges.
“I used to be tremendous nervous about it, to be trustworthy, as a result of though I’d gained all these competitions in Australia I used to be nervous about profitable this one as a result of it was all new judges,” she mentioned.
She mentioned she knew when she certified she would wrestle in opposition to the opposite nations.
“As quickly as I certified, I used to be like, Oh my gosh, what have I completed? As a result of I knew that I used to be going to get overwhelmed, and I knew that individuals weren’t going to know my model and what I used to be going to do.”
Gunn misplaced all three of her round-robin battles by a mixed rating of 54-0, prompting a hostile response to her efficiency.
Greater than 40,000 folks signed an nameless Change.org petition claiming Gunn had “manipulated” Olympic qualification processes.
The AOC clarified in a press release the qualifying occasion in Sydney in October 2023 was performed by the game’s worldwide governing physique World DanceSport Federation, as permitted by the Worldwide Olympic Committee.
Gunn was “legitimately nominated” by DanceSport Australia to the committee after profitable the qualifying occasion and had no accountability for any funding selections within the sport, the AOC mentioned.
She additionally spoke concerning the response to her efficiency and the way it felt throughout the ordeal, which noticed her chased down the road by reporters.
“That was actually wild,” she mentioned.
“If individuals are chasing me, what do I do? However that basically did put me in a state of panic.”
It follows a press release launched by way of social media the place Gunn described the response to her efficiency as “devastating”.
She thanked supporters however added she didn’t realise her entry “would additionally open the door to a lot hate which has frankly been fairly devastating”.
“Whereas I went on the market and had enjoyable, I did take it very severely. I labored my butt off getting ready for the Olympics and I gave my all, actually.”
The breaker added she was remaining in Europe for just a few weeks and would “be joyful to reply extra questions on my return to Australia”.
– with Australian Related Press.
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