Olympic breakdancer Rachael 'Raygun' Gunn’s bold new look goes viral after controversial performance

Rachael “Raygun” Gunn, criticized for her Olympic breakdancing, appears on this week’s Stellar magazine cover.

Rachael “Raygun” Gunn, who faced harsh criticism for her breakdancing routine at the Paris Olympics, graces the cover of this week’s edition of the Australian magazine Stellar.

On the cover, Gunn swapped her Olympic tracksuit for a chic, new look.

With her hair slicked back into a braid, the Olympian looked stunning in a vibrant blue dress paired with strappy black sandals. Gunn completed her glamorous ensemble with a bold red lip.

 

 

 

 

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While the full story won’t be released until Sunday, the cover did include a quote from Gunn: “You did not bring me down. You did not succeed. I still stand by what I did.”

Gunn’s performance at the Paris Games showcased a distinct approach to the newly introduced Olympic sport.

She lost all three of her breaking matches, 18-0, and was accused of disrespecting the Olympics simply by accepting an invitation to compete.

Japan’s Ami Yuasa won the gold in the women’s Olympic breaking event, with Lithuania’s Dominika Banevic earning silver and China’s Liu Qingyi taking bronze.

Despite the international backlash, Gunn received support from friends and family, which she addressed in an honest Instagram video posted in August.

“I didn’t realize that that would also open the door to so much hate, which ​has frankly​ ​been pretty devastating,” Gunn, 36, said.

“While 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’m honored to have been a part of the Australian Olympic team and to be part of breaking’s Olympic debut. What the other athletes have achieved has just been phenomenal.”

Gunn, who is also an academic and lecturer at Macquarie University’s Faculty of Arts, was honored with a statue that was installed in a Melbourne suburb earlier this month.