‘I love Rachael’: Meares, teen breaker defend Raygun against ‘keyboard warriors’
By Marta Pascual Juanola
Australian chef de mission Anna Meares has launched a staunch defence of breaker Rachael Gunn after she became an internet sensation after her performance at the Paris Olympics.
It didn’t take long after Gunn’s performance at La Concorde on Friday afternoon, Paris time, for memes comparing her dance moves to a kangaroo hop, the sprinkler, and trying to get the quilt off the bed to emerge on social media.
“I haven’t spoken to Rachael yet but what I can say is that I love Rachael and I think that what has occurred on social media with trolls and keyboard warriors and taking those comments and giving them airtime has been really disappointing,” Meares said.
Anna Meares has defended Aussie breaker Rachael Gunn, after she became the subject of a social media pile-on.Credit: Getty
“I love her character and I feel very disappointed for her that she has come under the attack that she has.”
Internet users critiqued Gunn for wearing her green and gold tracksuit, as male breaker JAttack (Jeff Dunne) did on Saturday. The other B-Girls shunned their national uniforms for baggy clothes and bandanas. Afterwards, Gunn posted on her own social channels that she hoped the male breakers would be subjected to the same scrutiny.
Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins was among those to throw their support behind gun, using a crown emoji to back up a post by Instagram comedy duo, the Inspired Unemployed, which declared her the “new queen of Australia”.
Meares said the 36-year-old university lecturer, who specialises in the cultural politics of breaking and competed under her dance name Raygun, was the best female breaker in Australia and had represented the Olympic spirit with courage and enthusiasm.
“For someone to win in sport you need someone to not win in sport and the fact is that yes, Rachael didn’t get a point yesterday, but she was there doing her best,” she said.
“It takes a lot of courage to walk out into any sporting environment and try to have a go ... How can we continue to encourage our kids to do that when we’re prepared to slam our athletes who do it on a global stage?
“I am very grateful for Rachael because I think what she has done for breakdancers and female breakdancers in future generations will not be appreciated for decades to come.”
‘She represented hard’
Australia’s B-Boy in Paris, the 16-year-old J Attack (Jeff Dunne), threw his support behind his fellow breaker.
“All I know is that she represented hard,” he said. ”She’s leading breaking in Australia for the women, and I just acknowledge her and respect her 100 per cent.”
US B-Boy Victor (Montalvo) also had a message for Gunn. “People just want to troll,” he said.
“Now more people are going to tune into the B-Boy battle, and the B-Girl battle. They’re going to see what they have been missing for years. To Raygun, don’t pay no mind. It’s life.”
Meares’ tearful farewell
Meares made the comments during her last media address as chef de mission in Paris on Saturday morning, where she struggled to hold back the tears as she hailed Australia’s performance at the Games. The former track cyclist let out a mild expletive and dabbed at her eyes as she became overcome by emotion.
Anna Meares struggled to hold back the tears during her final address.Credit: Getty Images
“I am so proud, proud for them, proud of them, proud to be here with them. The way that they have supported each other in success and defeat, the way that they have shown courage and being the great role models that they are,” she said.
Kaylee McKeown will be a flag bearer at the closing ceremony. Credit: AP
At 18 gold medals, Paris 2024 has been the most successful campaign in Australian Olympic history, eclipsing the previous high of 17 at Athens 2004 and Tokyo 2020. Much of that heavy lifting has been done by female athletes, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by Meares.
“I think the simple visibility of women in sport is making an impact, and we’re seeing that impact. My daughter has asked me: ‘Mum, can I play this sport?’ And how nice as a parent that I can sit there and say: ‘Yeah, baby, you can’. That hasn’t always been the case for women coming through in the decades previous and the years previous,” she said.
“As a female athlete and as a woman, we know what it’s like to feel excluded. I’m certainly not going to act in that capacity to our male teammates … But it’s undeniable that our women have been exceptional at these Games.”
About 300 athletes will attend the closing ceremony on Sunday before returning home to Australia to welcome parties for them and their Paralympian teammates on September 13-16.
Swimmer Kaylee McKeown and sailor Matt Wearn will carry the flags for Australia at the closing ceremony.
Meares agonised over the choice. “I couldn’t go past Kaylee. To be the first woman, the first Australian Olympian, to win four individual gold medals to go back to back,” Meares said.
“I love the quirkiness and character of Kaylee. I love that she is unapologetically Kaylee and I love her personality.”
She was equally effusive about Wearn, who defended the men’s dinghy title.
“He’s an incredible human being. You could walk past him in the street and not even know that he is the only person in the world at Olympic level from any country to defend a sailing gold medal,” she said.
“I saw him at the village this morning. He’s still pinching himself.”