My oh my, how time does fly. In September 2026, we are a little over two years removed from the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris. Maybe you’re a massive fan of the Olympics. Or, like many others, maybe you just kind of forget about what happened until it somehow comes up in conversation. There were some notable moments for sure. And there was one athlete who will live on in infamy for her performance in the breakdancing event. We’re referring to Rachel Gunn, otherwise known as Raygun. If you forgot about her or missed out on what happened in 2024, you can revisit the fiasco in an upcoming Netflix documentary, Untold Raygun: Breaking Badly.
Raygun & the Skill Gap
This is a really complicated subject to talk about. There are several facets to Raygun’s story; she was unfairly bullied but also, arguably, not without scrutiny. If you watch her performance at the 2024 Summer Games, then it’s really obvious how outmatched she was. Even with a sport like this where creativity is a factor being judged, she’s objectively not nearly as skilled as her competitors.
How did someone on the bad side of a skill gap get to the Olympics? Easy, she won the qualifying event. What does that say about the qualifying event itself? We haven’t seen it, so we can’t tell you. What it likely means is that Raygun was the best amongst those who showed up. That could be an indictment against the popularity and prevalence of breakdancing in the Oceania region. It could also just be that there were other talented individuals who just didn’t try and make it through the qualifiers.
Breaking Badly: The Philosophy of Trying Your Best
We hope that the Netflix documentary dives into this element of things because there really is a philosophical question behind it all. Is it better to participate knowing you’re significantly outclassed, or to not participate at all? This isn’t an entirely fitting comparison, but there’s still merit to it: in auto racing, a car must maintain a minimum speed to compete. That rule is there for safety reasons, but there is a competitive value to it too. And in Olympic sports where things are measured concretely, like the 100m dash or the shot put, would you still send somebody to that event if their qualifying scores in your country were significantly lower than your competitors’?
Being on the Olympic stage is an honor. There is no denying that. But is there honor in going there when you’re not on par with others? Like, not even close. You’re not just representing yourself, but you’re representing a country of people. Is there not a quiet dignity in recognizing that you’re outclassed? There are a lot of variables that come into play with competitions. It’s possible that Raygun could’ve done their own performance while everyone they faced off against accidentally injured themselves while performing. Even then, you’re not so much “winning” as it is not losing.
No Excuse For Bullying
Raygun’s interview about the documentary reveals some things that are fairly telling and very understandable. She notes, “It was tough. I knew that I moved differently. I knew that I had a different approach to everyone else that had qualified.” She adds, “But it was important to me to go out there and be myself, to be creative and to not be afraid to be different. No regrets.” Which, yeah, we get that. Was it a good idea, though?
This is no excuse for internet bullying, though. To be accosted and mocked out of malice is uncalled for. One can still be critical of her appearance at the Olympics without being mean about it. That’s what we’re trying to do right now. We’re questioning and critiquing the wisdom behind presenting yourself on the world stage, in a burgeoning sport, when you’re supposed to be representing the best your country has to offer. Maybe this isn’t the time to be “different”; maybe this is the time to realize, “I’m not going to make myself or my country look good.” It’s that line between being brave and foolish.
Maybe the Netflix documentary will tap into all this, considering how it’s an important concept to discuss. We shouldn’t be afraid to fail, but we should also be aware of our own talents. We shouldn’t be afraid to be ourselves, but we should know the time and place for that to be appropriate. Just like we’re not afraid to admit that as awful as Raygun’s performance was, it was still a hell of a lot better than anything we could do. Netflix’s Untold Raygun: Breaking Badly is available to stream now.
