Who's Raygun? Memes About The Australian Breakdancer And Professor Who Failed At The Olympics Explained

Raygun, the viral breakdancer from Australia, has earned well-deserved meme attention following her poor performance today at that the 2024 Summer Olympics women's breaking event.

Videos of Raygun, whose real name is Rachael Gunn, are all over Twitter / X, Reddit and TikTok at the moment, showing her rolling around on the floor and making people think "Maybe I could be an Olympian…" News flash —
you could not be an Olympian. Besides, Raygun is much more than a breaker. She's also a professor and a PhD holder.

Confused about how Raygun made it to the Olympic Games and why she's gone viral? What are all of these Olympic breakdancer memes about that center on the infamous Australian Raygun? Let's explain.

Who Is Raygun The Breakdancer?

Raygun's real name is Rachael Gunn. She's a 36-year-old breaker originally from Hornsby, New South Wales. Nowadays, she lives in Sydney, Australia and teaches at Macquarie University. In 2017, she got a PhD in cultural studies, focusing on breakdancing.

In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Gunn said that she started breaking in 2008 when her husband introduced her to it. For months now, she's been excited about her trip to Paris. She's posted frequently on her Instagram account in anticipation of the event.

Why Has Raygun The Olympic Breakdancer Gone Viral?

Mid-day on Friday, the 2024 Olympics held the B-Girls breaking competition and aired the event on live TV. Gunn, as Raygun, was competing in the event and her performance was underwhelming. She ended the day with zero points after three matches. Unfortunately, she did not advance any further.

People watching Raygun's breaking at home were mesmerized, not because of her prowess, but rather, because of the exact opposite. For instance, at one point, Raygun rolled backward, laid on the floor and started rolling around. One X user wrote, "Judges made the right call here because what was that move lol."

The memes kept rolling from there on out, transforming Raygun into an international celebrity by the end of the day.

Judges made the right call here because what was that move lol #Olympics #Breakdancing pic.twitter.com/sXAs9AdHjX

— MⓞNK BLOODY P👑s (@MonkeyBlood) August 9, 2024

What Are Some Raygun The Breakdancer Memes?

One of the most viral posts amid the meme storm was shared by X user @mariahkreutter who raved about Raygun's aura when writing, "I could live all my life and never come up with anything as funny as Raygun, the 36-year-old Australian Olympic breakdancer."

The post inspired a slew of discourse, culminating in the hivemind's realization that Raygun was a PhD-wielding professor. The irony of it all started to compound as people began relating heavily to Raygun's Olympic moment.

People saw themselves in her, not dissimilar from the buzz surrounding the Turkish sports shooter Yusuf Dikeç whose lack of special equipment at his event earned him kudos among the laypeople.

For the full history of Raygun the Australian Olympic Breakdancer, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.