Raygun: How Rachael Gunn Predicted Her Olympic Routine Would Become a ‘Joke’ One Year Before She Became the Biggest Story of the Paris Games
- Raygun predicted she could become an internet sensation
- An academic paper she co-wrote hinted at the possibility that Paris
- Breakdancer became the story of the Olympic Games
Rachael Gunn was the story of the Paris Olympics, where fans criticized her bizarre breakdancing routine, which earned her zero points.
But the 36-year-old university lecturer terrifyingly predicted she could go viral 12 months before her Paris disaster.
Before Gunn – better known by her stage name Raygun – left for France for the Olympics, she published a research paper examining the participation of breaking sports at the Paris Olympics. The paper was entitled: ‘The Australian breaking scene and the Olympics: the possibilities and politics of sportification’.
The 18-page document analyses various points of contention, but also discusses the possibility that the sport could skyrocket into the stratosphere due to the enormous media attention.
One of the people she interviewed, Lowe Napalan, said: ‘The great thing about the Olympics, and the best thing about it, is the media attention.
So we can do a repeat of, let’s say, what happened with […] Solid rock [Crew]the whole media frenzy, and then everyone started to break down.
“So there’s a chance that could happen again with the Olympics. And that’s exactly what we want to use to increase those numbers in the community.”
Raygun became the most talked about topic at the Olympics. Her unique moves, including kangaroo jumping and snake writhing, sent the internet into hysterics.
Raygun made a spooky prediction before she became an internet sensation
The 36-year-old university lecturer was mercilessly mocked online for her performance in Paris
One of her scientific articles suggested that the sport could receive a lot of media attention
Music star Adele even interrupted her concert in Munich to discuss Raygun’s performance.
“I’m not saying anything, but I think this is the best thing the Olympics have ever seen,” Adele told her fans.
‘Has anyone seen the breakdancing lady?
‘I didn’t even know breakdancing was an Olympic sport now. That’s f***ing amazing. Really.
‘Aaron, my percussionist, pees his pants laughing just thinking about it.’
But Raygun told her fans the online attack was “quite devastating.”
“Hi everyone, I’m Raygun,” she said in a video posted to Instagram. “First of all, I want to thank all the people who have supported me.
“I really appreciate the positivity and I’m glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives. That’s what I was hoping for.
‘I didn’t realize that this would also open the door to so much hate, which has honestly been quite devastating.
“Even though I went there and had fun, I took it very seriously. I worked really hard to prepare for the Olympics and I gave it my all. I really did.
‘I feel honoured to be part of the Australian Olympic team and to be part of breaking’s Olympic debut. What the other athletes have achieved is simply phenomenal.’
