As breakdancing made its debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Australian dancer Rachael Gunn became an unexpected focal point of controversy. Her unique performance, dubbed the “Kangaroo Dance,” garnered widespread criticism from Australian netizens after she received zero points from the judges across three rounds of competition.
Rachael Gunn, who also teaches at Macquarie University, has been practicing breakdancing for over a decade. However, her Olympic debut was met with disappointment as her unconventional routine failed to impress both the judges and viewers. The “Kangaroo Dance,” which involved hopping and twisting on the ground, was meant to showcase her creativity, but it backfired, sparking a wave of online backlash.
In response to the criticism, Gunn addressed her detractors on social media, stating, “I took this competition very seriously and put everything I had into it. The experience was supposed to be fun, but I didn’t anticipate this level of negativity. It’s been overwhelming.”
The criticism escalated to discussions of racial bias, a development that Gunn found particularly distressing. She pleaded with the media to stop harassing her loved ones and the broader street dance community in Australia.
Not all feedback was negative, however. Taiwanese breakdancer Sun Zhen offered words of support, commending Gunn for her bravery in trying something new on such a grand stage. “She wasn’t trying to win over the judges; she was there to express herself in a way no one else had thought of,” Sun said.
Gunn’s experience at the Paris 2024 Olympics raises important questions about the role of creativity in competitive sports and how new disciplines are received on the world stage.
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