I’ll take one final look backwards on the 2024 Olympics to set the document straight about Australian B-Lady Rachael “RayGun” Gunn. To not defend her efficiency on the Olympic’s first breaking occasion, however to appropriate the misinformation that sprung up afterwards, and have a look at the web pile-on her uncommon efficiency wrought. As a result of the net shame-mob could be very mistaken about RayGun, and it is all shittier than you suppose.
RayGun didn’t “rig” the qualifying occasion to get her spot within the Olympics
Tweets like this one situation some critical accusations—”RayGun ran Australia’s Olympic qualifier, created the foundations, put in her husband as coach—not one of the nation’s greatest breakdancers had been capable of compete within the qualifier because of Dr. Rachel Gunn’s choice to not cowl journey bills.”
These accusation had been unfold and repeated so typically they have been accepted as frequent information on-line by now. However each phrase of this fastidiously crafted tweet is a lie.
In accordance with the Australian Olympic Committee, the Olympic breaking qualifying occasion was “carried out underneath the Olympic qualification system decided by the worldwide governing physique, World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) as permitted by the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC).”
Gunn just isn’t a part of any of these organizations. She competed within the qualifying occasion and received.
RayGun’s husband Samuel Free is her coach, not the coach of the Australian Olympic crew. Neither Free nor Gunn are on the governing physique that scores breaking contests. They haven’t any enter on the Australian Olympic crew’s journey bills or say in who can compete in qualifying occasions, both.
RayGun just isn’t the rationale breaking is not going to be included within the 2028 video games
Breaking was by no means going to be included within the 2028 Video games. Except the “core” sports activities which can be performed at each Olympics, the contests are decided by the host metropolis. Los Angeles opted to not embody breaking earlier than the Paris 2024 video games even started.
The web ought to be mad at saber fencing as a substitute
Web hate-mobs should not exist, notably for athletes, but when it’s worthwhile to be mad, be mad at saber fencing. In contrast to in breaking, in saber fencing, coaches are sometimes judges, together with the man who coaches each Tatiana Nazlymov and Mitchell Saron. They each made the USA fencing crew, however competed underneath a cloud of suspicion and investigations as to whether or not they had assist from referees of their qualifying matches.
There’s an excessive amount of to get into right here, however fencing looks as if a soiled sport. It could in actual fact be probably the most corrupt sport on the planet. An web hate-mob may truly do some good by digging into the byzantine world {of professional} fencing. However they discovered a girl to hate as a substitute.
Why all of the hatred for Rachel Gunn?
Rachel Gunn just isn’t the primary particular person to make the Olympic crew and have a horrible displaying on the video games. Prior to now although, athletes who had been in over their heads on the Olympics had been often seen as beloved, scrappy underdogs. Inspirational figures as a substitute of public enemies. Contemplate:
-
Eric “The Eel” Moussambani: The Eel made the Equatorial Guinea Olympic swimming crew in 2000 and practically needed to be rescued by a lifeguard when swimming the 100 meters.
-
Michael David “Eddie The Eagle” Edwards: This ski-jumper made Nice Britain’s ski-jumping crew on the winter video games in 1988 as a result of he was the one particular person from the UK who competed. He turned world-famous regardless of coming in final in each of his occasions.
-
The Jamaican bobsleigh crew: Talking of the 1988 video games, the Jamaican bobsleigh crew was additionally adopted because the world’s mascot regardless of crashing and never ending their occasion. To be truthful, they acquired higher in future video games.
-
Kinzang Lhamo: To convey it again to the 2024 Video games, Bhutan’s Olympic marathoner Kinzang Lhamo completed in three hours, 52 minutes, after strolling elements of the route—a efficiency that might have been fairly good for a primary marathon, however not adequate to certified for a spot within the Boston Marathon. However Lhamo acquired a standing ovation. Deserved, positive, however why did not Gunn get the identical remedy?
Comedy, tradition wars, and the RayGun hate mob
It is typically troublesome to say precisely why one thing “goes viral,” however within the case of Gunn’s breaking efficiency, comedy was positively an enormous a part of it. Gunn’s awkward dance efficiency was undeniably humorous in a method that watching somebody wrestle to complete a marathon just isn’t.
I laughed too, however I additionally discovered her efficiency relatable. My response was like: “she’s having enjoyable on the market; good for her for going for it so arduous.” However the web is not good at parsing complexity like that, so the extra frequent response was extra like “That is humorous as a result of she sucks! hyuk hyuk!” However issues cannot be simply humorous anymore. They need to be political.
The above-mentioned Twitter person took outing of their day to craft another set of information about Gunn and Photoshop what appears to be like like a newspaper article to make it extra plausible. Then another nameless CHUD took the time to submit a web-based petition (since eliminated for being lies) about Gunn and solicit signatures from different jerks. RayGun’s virality could have began organically, however it was intentionally hijacked and weaponized and used to assemble a hate mob underneath a tradition battle banner.
Gunn is a girl, and every time a girl does something, “supporters of Unbiased Journalism” like @amuse have a built-in viewers of web misogynists to assist disseminate the lies. Plus she has a PhD In cultural research—actually an ideal tradition battle villain. Then there’s breaking itself.
Breaking is deeply suspect to purveyors of “conservative headlines.” In any case, breaking was invented largely by Black folks. It is dance, which is inherently suspect, and also you take heed to hip-hop whenever you do it, and that is not even music. So it should be ridiculous and corrupt. The place fencing, with its lengthy historical past, European roots, and Ivy-league athletes is unquestionably an trustworthy sport, so let’s get mad over some dancer as a substitute of taking a look at how one can purchase your self a spot on the Olympic fencing crew.
