'My record speaks to that': Raygun apologises, defends Olympic selection in first interview since Paris

Polarising breakdancer Rachael "Raygun" Gunn has broken her silence in her first sit-down interview since becoming a global phenomenon during Paris 2024.

The 37-year-old Australian b-girl crashed out at the first-time Olympic event last month, before being ridiculed on social media for her performance.

Raygun has since received both support and scrutiny, with the likes of Aussie chef de mission Anna Meares leaping to her defencewhile plenty of people from across the world continue to poke fun at her and question her inclusion at the Games.

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Speaking publicly for the first time in an interview with Channel 10's The Project, the university lecturer with a PhD in break culture apologised for any negativity brought towards the sport, but remains adamant she was the best Australian for the job.

"I think my record speaks to that," she said.

"I won the Oceania Championships. It was a direct qualifier. There were nine judges, all from overseas. I knew my chances were slim as soon as I qualified [for the Olympics].

"People didn't understand breaking and were just angry about my performance. The conspiracy theories were just awful and that was really upsetting. People are now attacking our reputation and our integrity - none of them were grounded in facts.

"It is really sad to hear those criticisms. I am very sorry for the backlash that the community has experienced, but I can't control how people react. Unfortunately, we just need some more resources in Australia for us to beat world champions.

"While I went out there and had fun, I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all, truly."

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The days that followed were completely chaotic both overseas and back in Australia.

Raygun spoke about being chased by cameras through Paris streets and how she dealt with the very public reaction to her performance.

"That was really wild," she said.

"If people are chasing me, what do I do? That really did put me in a state of panic. I was nervous to be out in public. It was pretty nerve wracking for a while"

Raygun admitted she hasn't watched back her heats from Paris, but claims that isn't unusual for her after any competition.

As for how she's handling the situation now - a month on from her world being turned upside down - it's clear that Raygun is still coming to grips with it all.

"I definitely have my ups and downs, good and bad days," she said.

"It has been so amazing to see the positive response to my performance. I never thought I'd be able to connect with so many people in a positive way ... but it definitely has been tough at times. Fortunately, I got some mental health support pretty quickly.

"This kind of sick feeling started coming out. It feels like a really weird dream. There's been a portion of angry responses - attacking not only me, but my husband.

"The energy and vitriol that people had was pretty alarming."