Like singer picking 'wrong song', but vitriol at breaker Raygun unwelcome says sport's Singaporean chief

SINGAPORE: Making its debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the sport of breaking or break dancing was catapulted to global attention after Rachael "Raygun" Gunn took to the stage.

Unfortunately for the Australian as well as the sport's governing authorities, it was because her kangaroo-inspired routine failed to impress the judges and the online masses.

Gunn's moves were parodied and mocked all over the world, with many questioning how she had qualified for the Olympics to begin with.

Speaking to CNA this week, the president of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) - which oversees breaking - compared Gunn's performance "to that of a singer who chooses the wrong song to perform during a concert".

"The ability and intent were there, but the performance itself simply did not resonate with the audience as envisaged, " said Shawn Tay.

Gunn, a university lecturer, lost all three of her round robin battles by a combined score of 0-54. The competition was won by Japan's Ami Yuasa, B-Girl Ami.

An online petition later emerged, accusing Gunn of manipulating the qualification process to earn her Paris spot attracted 50,000 signatures. It was removed at the request of the Australian Olympic Committee.

"The conspiracy theories were just awful," Gunn said previously. "That was really upsetting, because it wasn't just people that didn't understand breaking and were just angry about my performance.

"It was people that are now attacking our reputation and our integrity. And none of them were grounded in any kind of facts."

Tay, a Singaporean, said the WDSF stands firmly against any form of harassment or abuse, including cyberbullying.

"Our athletes deserve respect and support as they pursue their dreams," he added. "I am all for constructive