Australian Breaking Organization Says Raygun's Selection for Paris Olympics Was Fair, Dispels Cheating Rumors

Mar. 15, 2025

Raygun.Photo:Cameron Spencer/Getty

Cameron Spencer/Getty

Australian breaking organizationAUSBreakhas pushed back against claims that Olympic breakerRachael Gunn, known as Raygun, manipulated the selection process for the2024 Paris Olympics, and publicly stated that they “stand in solidarity” with the athlete.

The 36-year-old did not medal in the Olympic event, but her moves went viral during herbreaking— AKA breakdancing — competition on Aug. 9.

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Raygun did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Unfounded allegations that Raygun cheated to get her spot on the Olympic breaking team ramped up after aReddit postcirculated online claiming that Raygun and her husband and coach Samuel Free were the founders of the Australian Breaking Association. The post alleged that she “elected herself” to represent Australia in the breaking event.

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Australian news outlet theSydney Morning Heralddebunked the claim on Aug. 12 and confirmed Lowe Napalan, another Australian breaking champion, is actually the founder of the organization.

According to AUSBreak’s statement, judges at the Oceanic qualification event “are all highly respected in their respective communities and in the international Breaking scene.” The statement clarified that Raygun and her fellow Australian competitor Jeff Dunne were selected to represent the country “based solely on their performance in their battles on that day.”Raygun has not responded to the allegations yet, but AUSBreak insists that “in the lead-up to Paris, Raygun used her platform as the Australian Breaking representative to consistently advocate in the media for Breaking’s history, artistic and athletic values, and its cultural origins.”

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source: people.com