- Keegan Palmer Loved Raygun’s Routine at the Paris Olympics
- Skateboarder praised her for her ‘fun’ as a breakdancer
- Palmer, 21, from Gold Coast, won gold in park skating
While infamous Australian Olympic breakdancer Rachael Gunn – aka Raygun – continues to polarize sports fans, she has a fan in two-time gold medalist Keegan Palmer.
The Gold Coast skateboarder, who won gold in Paris to mark his triumph at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, praised the university lecturer for relishing the ultimate podium.
“I saw those videos, it was very funny,” Palmer said. “(It was) very interesting, who cares.”
“She’s having fun, that’s all that matters.”
Gunn, 36, failed to score a point in any of her three fights, and her bizarre move immediately became a talking point.
While Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and former footballer Craig Foster praised Raygun for her “chance” at the Games, she faced heavy criticism from other quarters.
Many of Gunn’s fellow Australian Olympians supported her and she was treated as a cult heroine at the closing ceremony in Paris.
Video footage soon surfaced showing Gunn performing her iconic moves to loud applause from her Australian teammates.
As Australian Olympic breakdancer Rachael Gunn – aka Raygun – continues to polarize sports fans, she has a fan in two-time gold medalist Keegan Palmer (pictured)
Palmer praised the Sydney University professor for enjoying her performance on the ultimate stage (pictured)
The Australian went viral after her dance routine during the first competition in Paris
Gunn lost all three of her round-robin bouts by a combined score of 54-0 and admitted afterwards that she could not compete athletically with the tricks and spins of her younger opponents.
Australian chef de mission Anna Meares has slammed ‘keyboard warriors’ for their online bullying of Raygun, with some fans comparing Raygun’s behaviour to comedian Chris Lilley’s mockumentary.
“I wanted to do something new, different and creative. That’s my strength, my creativity,” Gunn said.
In unforgettable scenes, Gunn jumped like a kangaroo, gaped at an opponent and performed the sprinkler.
Gunn is a creative arts researcher at Macquarie University in Sydney, specialising in ‘the cultural politics of breakdancing’. He also has a PhD in sport.
Fans hoping to see Raygun at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles will be disappointed after it was confirmed that the sport has been removed from the programme.
The decision was made before the Paris Olympics and Gunn was among those who criticized the decision.
“It was disappointing that the decision was made that the film wouldn’t be shown in LA, especially before we could even show it,” she said.
“That might have been a bit premature. I wonder if they’re kicking themselves now?”
‘Breaking is obviously athletic, it requires a whole level of dedication on a number of different levels. It really brings a new level of excitement.’