Australian b-girl Rachael Gunn drew criticism for her unique performance at the Paris Games, but she defended her dance moves, saying she was showcasing creativity.
Australian b-girl Rachael Gunn, also known as "Raygun," has defended her performance at the inaugural Olympic breaking competition in Paris, despite receiving criticism and ridicule.
Gunn, 36, scored zero points in the competition, which was won by Japan's Amy Yuasa. However, she told ESPN that she has no regrets about her performance, which included a "kangaroo dance."
Australian B-Girl Defends Controversial Performance at Olympics
"I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best: their power moves," Gunn said of her competitors. "What I bring is creativity."
Gunn said all of her moves were original and that she was trying to be as creative as possible.
Australian B-Girl Defends Controversial Performance at Olympics
"Creativity is really important to me. I go out there and I show my artistry. Sometimes it speaks to the judges, and sometimes it doesn't. I do my thing, and it represents art. That is what it is about," she added.
Breaking is unconventional for the Olympics. Performers are scored based on the various combinations of dance moves as a DJ plays music.
Australian B-Girl Defends Controversial Performance at Olympics
Martin Gilian, the head judge for the breaking competition, defended Gunn's performance.
"Breaking is all about originality and bringing something new to the table and representing your country or region," he said. "This is exactly what Raygun was doing. She got inspired by her surroundings, which in this case, for example, was a kangaroo."
The breaking federation added that it offered mental health support to Gunn amid the criticism.
Despite the criticism, Gunn said she is proud of her performance.
"I'm just happy to be here representing Australia and breaking," she said. "I'm not going to let anyone tell me what I can and can't do."
Japan's Amy Yuasa won gold, Lithuania's Dominika Banevic won silver and China's Liu Qingyi took home the bronze medal.
