– Young people have many options for spending their free time, so let's not expect that sports will be their first choice. We want to attract them – said some time ago the president of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach, explaining the addition of breaking to the Olympic schedule. The first Olympic champion in history was Ami Yuasa, who defeated the Lithuanian of Polish origin Dominika Baniewicz in the final.
The world mocked her, but in the country she became a hero. Even the prime minister spoke out.
Rachael “Raygun” Gunn's performance was the most popular on social media, but few were impressed with her skills. The 36-year-old Australian was ridiculed in the comments. “5-year-old me showing my mom what I can do”, “it's shocking that she's the best athlete you have”, “how did she qualify for this competition?”, “since Usain Bolt's sprint in 2008, there hasn't been such a performance at the Olympics” – joked Internet users..
The 36-year-old doctor, who is also a university lecturer, has become the subject of ridicule from around the world, but has gained the status of a hero in her home country. Even Prime Minister Anthony Albanese came to her defence. “Raygun had fun with her and kudos to her. It is in keeping with the Australian tradition that people try. She tried to represent our country and she did it well. Whether it was winning gold medals or just giving it their all, they did everything we asked them to do. It is the participation that is really important,” the Australian Prime Minister emphasised.
She was also supported by her teammates from the Australian team, who, like “Raygun”, were present at the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris. Other athletes imitated the movements of the breaking athlete, imitating her dance move of the kangaroo. The 36-year-old was also carried “piggyback” by Australian rower Angus Widdicombe.