Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn: Olympic breakdancing sensation to open up in revealing new interview
After weeks of silence, Olympic breakdance sensation Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn has finally agreed to a TV interview.
It comes after she signed with a top management agency representing some of Australia’s highest-profile influencers, and appeared for a surprise cameo at the Logies.
Raygun is hot property after she became one of the biggest stars of the Paris Olympics for all the wrong reasons.
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Her underwhelming performance in the B-Girls round-robin saw her eliminated after scoring an embarrassing zero points and unleashing a massive backlash with people questioning how she got selected to represent Australia.
There was even a now-defunct Change.org petition set up to hold Raygun and Australia’s Olympic Chef de Mission Anna Meares accountable for “unethical conduct” which attracted 45,000 signatures.
Raygun’s odd moves, such as the kangaroo, were widely panned and are now a meme favourite.
And her viral fame even extended to talk shows in the US, which took great delight in poking fun at her cringeworthy routine.
Now, Raygun will sit down with The Project’s Waleed Aly in what has been billed as a world exclusive for a revealing new interview.
She is also being courted for 10’s reality show I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, with producers saying they are “very interested” in casting her as a campmate in the coming season.
In the days after her performance went viral, an emotional Raygun — a Macquarie University professor who researches the ‘cultural politics of breaking’ — said she was left “devastated” by all the hate directed at her.
In a video posted to Instagram, she said: “I just want to start by thanking all the people that are supporting me, I really appreciate the positivity and I’m glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives, that’s what I hoped,” she said.
“I didn’t realise that 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 preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all, truly.
“I am honoured to have been a part of the Australian Olympic team and to be part of breaking’s Olympic debut.”
She also urged everyone to “stop harassing” her family, friends, and the Australian breaking and the broader street dance community.
“Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this so I ask you to still respect their privacy,” she added.
Raygun’s interview will air on Wednesday from 6.30pm on 10 and 10Play.
