The Olympic breakdancing community has rallied behind breaker Rachael Gunn, better known by her stage name Raygun, after her performance at the Paris Olympics drew both ridicule and praise.
Superstar singer Adele has also now entered the chat, declaring that Raygun's performance was her "favourite" moment of the 2024 Games.
On Sunday, the Australian academic and b-girl was seen performing a breakout dance on the streets of Paris with fellow Australian athletes celebrating the end of the most successful Olympics for the Australian team ever.
In a video posted by diver Domonic Bedggood, Gunn was seen busting a move surrounded by her cheering compatriots.
Rachael Gunn, aka Raygun, was cheered on by fellow Australian Olympians celebrating the end of the 2024 Games after her controversial breaking performance. Credit: Supplied/Instagram
Adele says Raygun performance made her happy
Gunn was eliminated after scoring zero at the B-Girls Round Robin breaking competition on Friday.
Her performance has spawned countless memes on social media, commentary about her qualification for the Games, online trolling and support from Australian Olympic officials.
Singer Adele told a crowd in Munich on Saturday that the Australian's performance was her "favourite thing" that happened at the Paris Games.
"I can't work out if it was a joke, but either way, it has made me very, very happy, and me and my friends have been sh*tting ourselves laughing for nearly 24 hours," she said.
Judge says 'nothing shocking' about Raygun's performance
An Olympic Games breaking judge has backed the 36-year-old academic, saying Raygun brought originality and unique moves to the stage, including her now-infamous kangaroo hop.
"Breaking is all about originality and bringing something new to the table and representing your country or region," head judge Martin Gilian said at a press conference on Sunday.
"This is exactly what Raygun was doing. She got inspired by her surroundings, which in this case, for example, was a kangaroo."
Gilian, also known as 'MGbility', said Gunn's moves were original, "which could be maybe funny or entertaining" for some but represented the true spirit of breaking and hip hop.
"She was trying to be original, bring something new to the table," he said, adding that he felt sorry for Gunn after seeing the backlash to her performance.
"From our perspective, there was nothing really shocking."
Gilian said that, while Gunn's "level was maybe not as high" as other competitors, the breaking community stood by her.
"That doesn’t mean that she did really bad; she did her best," he said.
"She won the Oceania qualifier ... Unfortunately for her, the other b-girls were better."
The 36-year-old has also been backed by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who said some of the criticism levelled at her was unfair.
"Good on her for having a go and wearing a trackie while you're doing it," he said on Monday.
Her employer, Sydney's Macquarie University — where she is a lecturer in the Department of Media and Communications — has also sent words of support.
"Macquarie University was proud to see our academic staff member Dr Rachael Gunn represent Australia in her sport at the Paris Olympics," a spokesperson told SBS News.
