An unexpected twist has emerged in the Raygun saga, with the Olympic Games breakdancer emerging as a sex symbol for fans across the world.
Rachael Gunn, 36, who goes by the stage name of Raygun, was ruthlessly mocked for her ’embarrassing’ performance which saw her score three straight zeros on the sport’s Olympic debut.
Her mental health is being monitored amid the onslaught online after fans slammed the Sydney Macquarie University creative arts researcher, who specialises in ‘the cultural politics of breakdancing’.
Amid the barrage of abuse, Raygun has also won a legion of new fans who gave her plenty of plaudits for giving it a go against rivals more than half her age.
And now it seems Raygun has earnt herself plenty of admirers, with fans flooding social media to express their attraction towards the married 36-year-old.
Social media user @hingo shared an Instagram image of Gunn’s, in which she poses in the mirror while wearing her n uniform, with the caption: ‘Can I say something…’
Others picked up on hingo’s allusion to Gunn’s attractiveness.
‘I might have a crush on her at this point,’ said one fan.
In another twist to the saga that has got the world talking, Raygun has become a sex symbol
Fans took to social media to reveal they are attracted to the n breakdancer, 36
Another said: ‘She is hot af [as f***], everyone knows it, the question is whether or not she’s a good dancer.’
‘Hear me out…’ said a third fan.
Raygun has been coached by her husband of six years, fellow breakdancer Samuel Free.
In an interview with Stan Sport prior to his wife’s performance in Paris, he actually revealed that the cringe moves were likely to be included in her routine.
‘Mixed emotions, there is a lot of pressure there, also a lot of excitement,’ he said.
‘We get to showcase something that we’re so excited about and that we love now to the rest of the world who largely haven’t seen what we’ve got to show.’
‘She’ll definitely have a few signatures in there to show and there will also be a few surprises in there, a little bit of Aussie flavour in there she is going to try and bring in.’
Raygun scored zero points at the Olympics and was the target of vicious social media abuse
When Stan’s host jokingly asked if Raygun would bust out the sprinkler at the Olympics, he responded, ‘Look, anything’s possible, there is a lot that goes on in the moment there.
‘We’re not going to give away any secrets at the moment pre-comp, but definitely keep your eyes peeled. There’s going to be some surprises in there.’
Raygun was introduced to the sport by her future husband, and admitted she was not immediately sold on the idea.
‘Not long after we started dating, he took me to Hornsby PCYC where he was training [in breaking] with the guys,’ she told the Sydney Morning Herald.
‘I thought it was pretty cool but not something I’d ever try. As a dancer, I’d spent years learning choreography; these guys were all doing their own thing, which was intimidating.
‘He encouraged me to give it a go, but it was hard and overwhelming. A woman’s body is different to a man’s – we have hips – so when a crew mate would say, ‘Just kick up,’ I’d be like, ‘That doesn’t work for me.’
‘But Sammy recognised that, which made me feel empowered.’