Why Raygun The Breakdancer Became The Internet’s New Favorite Olympic Meme
Rachael “Raygun” Gunn, 36, an Australian B-girl, stole the show as a meme star at the 2024 Paris Olympics with her quirky breakdancing performance, including her “kangaroo hop” and unique moves, which ranked zero points.
Even though participants and critics said she deserved to be excluded, Raygun inspired a social media frenzy on Twitter, Reddit, and TikTok.
However, she embodied the charm of an underdog, creativity, and complete absurdist silliness.
As an example of humor and relatability, Raygun rose to international fame as a meme and signified a new chapter in meme culture.
1. Who Is Raygun?
Background and Identity
Rachael Gunn, a 36-year-old Australian breakdancer and academic at Macquarie University in Sydney, goes by the stage name “Raygun.”
In her study of cultural studies, with a research focus on breakdancing, Rachael has obtained her Ph.D. and is an experienced cultural researcher, researching the cultural politics of breakdancing as a sport.
Rachael began breakdancing in her mid-twenties, encouraged by her husband and coach, Samuel Free, and gained popularity quickly in counter-culture and established herself as a talented b-girl in breaking in Australia.
Raygun’s combination of a rigorous academic background and dance background paved the way for her Olympic journey.
Olympic Qualification
Raygun qualified to compete in the Paris 2024 Olympics by winning the 2023 WDSF Oceania Breaking Championships in Sydney.
The open qualification event is scored by an international judging panel led by Japan’s Katsu One.
Raygun showed outstanding potential to win. She was the only Australian to earn a ticket to represent Australia as a B-girl at the Paris Olympics.
As Business Insider reported, Raygun capped off her performance by winning and comparing herself to non-academic dancers, even if there were debates about her subsequent performance.
2. The Viral Performance: What Happened?
The 2024 Paris Olympics Breaking Event
Renowned as breakdancing’s Olympic debut, the 2024 Paris Olympics breaking event occurred on August 9 with high-energy round-robin battles for B-girls.
Unfortunately, Raygun scored zero points after a string of losses to the US’s Logistx, France’s Syssy, and Lithuania’s Nicka.
Raygun’s performance included a now-famous “kangaroo hop” accompanied by unusual rolls on the floor, which made it more extravagant than technical.
With her Australian green-and-yellow tracksuit setting her apart from the streetwear worn by her competitors, Raygun inspired immediate online chatter.
Social Media Explosion
Raygun’s performance went viral almost immediately. A tweet by @mariahkreutter, reading, “I could live my whole life and never come up with anything as funny as Raygun, the 36-year-old Australian Olympic breakdancer,” received over 32,000 likes in just a few hours.
TikTok and Reddit exploded with videos of her moves next to toddlers or animals, including @kenzianidiot’s video of “my dog when the groomer tries to cut his nails.”
Raygun and her performance went from extraordinary to absurd, and she became the internet’s main character overnight.
3. Why Raygun Became a Meme
Unconventional Style and Humor
Raygun gave a new meaning to the sport with her kangaroo-like moves and unique style.
Her green tracksuit and cap looked more like a PE teacher’s outfit, as noted by Twitter user @GeorgieHeath27, which only added to the comic pleasure of watching it.
Posts like @BradfordPearson’s “I’d like to personally thank Raygun for making millions of people across the world think ‘huh, maybe I can make the Olympics too'” showcase her relatability and make her the perfect symbol of trying one’s best regardless.
Irony and Relatability
The internet loved her for her commitment to the “fail spectacularly” aesthetic.
The performance was relatable for anyone who’s made a spectacle out of a big moment, whether it be a bombed presentation or the cringiest dance move of your life.
Memes like “When you lie on your resume to get the job” (@Jacintamathews2) or Bob’s Burgers character comparisons cement her underdog energy.
Her need to be different, even for zero points, resonated with the online crowd.
Celebrity and Media Amplification
Celebrity endorsements elevated the profile of Raygun.
Adele interrupted her concert in Munich to declare that Raygun’s performance was her “favorite thing about the Games,” and Rachel Dratch featured her in a parody on The Tonight Show.
Both of these moments, highlighted by Inside the Games, were highly visible and had fans reposting the meme, with Adele’s comments alone generating 1000s and 1000s of simultaneous shares.
The assault of ever-so-slightly cheeky references coupled with celebrity interest made Raygun a worldwide phenomenon.
4. The Meme Formats and Variations
Classic Image Macros
Raygun’s kangaroo hop has become a meme format, with captions added to screenshots for optimum comedy.
Examples include “when you try to do a dance at a wedding,” or “me trying yoga for the first time.”
Reddit’s r/memes and Twitter had thousands of these posts, usually making fun of relatable failures.
Video Edits and TikTok Trends
TikTok took memes featuring Raygun to the next level with edits of clips set to either dramatic audio or funny sounds.
Posts like @po_tat_toe’s “My child every time I said no at the grocery store,” show a humorous montage of Raygun’s quirky “kangaroo hop” performance, edited with exaggerated sound effects and captions mocking her unconventional moves.
Often using her clips and re-enacting every single movement she made with exaggerated flair, her performances stayed relevant across platforms.
Cultural References
Ultimately, Raygun’s performances conjured up comparisons to comedic characters like Jojo Siwa or acts by Will Ferrell in Step Brothers.
Merchandise such as T-shirts and posters on Redbubble made use of the hype behind her exploits, some featured designs of her kangaroo hop.
Frequently, her memes would be remixed as parodies in shows like Hazbin Hotel, solidifying her place in pop culture.
5. Controversy and Criticism
Backlash and Trolling
Raygun experienced heavy online backlash, with Reddit, r/bboy, users lamenting her performance for taking skill away from other talented breakers.
One example includes u/LubeDaddy, who commented that she made a “mockery” of breaking, others mentioned not believing she qualified, due to bias, and the level of competition, saying she planted herself straight into the Olympics.
There was even a Change.org petition with over 45,000 signatures claiming that she was able to manipulate her way to the Olympic Games. They did not include any evidence, though.
Defenders of Raygun
One of the head judges, Martin Gilian, came to Raygun’s defence, saying that her originality and kangaroo moves embodied breaking’s creativity.
The Australian Olympic Committee’s Matt Carroll and Chef de Mission Anna Meares condemned the “trolls and keyboard warriors,” and re-stressed that she was allowed to qualify as any other athlete, including people who may or may not wear a Lycra onesie for their sport.
A Kiwi judge, Te Hiiritanga Wepiha, said she won “fair and square” and recognised she would be outclassed, but “who cares.”
6. Why Raygun’s Meme Endures
Relatability and Underdog Appeal
Raygun has a meme for all time only in part because they express a universal struggle of wanting to try hard but falling short.
The irony of Raygun being an academia-masculine and having a late start in breaking smooths primitive normalization; in other words, she is a quintessential everyman.
Fans envision themselves in her bravery, as expressed in posts such as “She’s the Aussie Jojo Siwa” (@MadisonKittay).
Social Media’s Role
Twitter, TikTok and Reddit, keep Raygun’s memes alive, notable spikes happening during the Olympic recaps and (2025 retrospectives).
When breaker’s used Raygun’s kangaroo hop as the ‘shorthand for a bold failure, then shared it with meme pages like @historymemes, one could see the memes has taken off.
The internet’s absurd obsession with humor meant that Raygun’s Magna Voce Per Umbras would have longevity.
Cultural Commentary
Raygun’s memes raised debates around authenticity, with critics like Malik Dixon (above, outer layer) claiming her performance played jokes with the Black and Brown origins of breaking.
Others saw her as a bold artist who pushed past limitations.
Discussions like this brought attention to the tension of Olympic participation and inclusivity towards creative/authentic representation of cultural organizations irrespective of their reality.
Conclusion
Raygun’s madcap kangaroo hop and intrepid Olympic performance made her the meme queen of the 2024 Paris Games, combining humor, relatability, and controversy.
Even with a score of ZERO, her daring imagination and underdog disposition thrilled and set off a debate about the role of breaking at the Olympics.
Raygun’s memes have gone viral, across Twitter, TikTok, etc. capturing the exuberance and absurdity of trying things on a grand scale, only to fall flat.
What is your favorite Raygun meme, or have you ever had a moment of bold failure, like she did? Let me know in the comments!
