Australian breakdancer Rachael “Raygun” Gunn was given a guard of honor by her teammates at the Olympics closing ceremony after becoming a viral sensation.
Breakdance celebrated its Olympic debut in Paris 2024 and one of the most viral moments of the entire Olympic calendar occurred when 36-year-old B-girl Raygun entered the dance floor.
Raygun failed to score a single point from the judges and was eliminated from the round robin tournament after losing all three bouts. A special move that involved her rolling around on the ground was Viewed millions of times on social media.
Following the intense online reaction to her performance, Raygun’s Olympic teammates decided to do something nice for her by forming a guard of honor for her as they gathered for the closing ceremony on Sunday (August 11).
Rower Angus Widdicombe carried Raygun on his shoulders and marched her through the streets where the rest of the Australian team was lined up, with Raygun mimicking their now infamous “kangaroo” dance step.
Several clips surfaced of Raygun busting out some moves on a makeshift dance floor to huge cheers and applause from her fellow countrymen. One person posted a video with the words “Put it in the Louvre.”
Many also felt that their performance here was better than at the Olympic Games.
Whether it was the intended reaction or not, Raygun’s performance at the Olympics made her a cult favorite among audiences. Singer Adele even interrupted her Munich concert to talk about her.
“Me and my friends just talk about it. And I don’t say anything, but I think it’s the best thing that has ever happened at the Olympics,” Adele told the crowd.
She continued: “I can’t say if it was a joke, but either way it made me very, very happy and my friends and I were laughing our heads off for almost 24 hours.”
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