A 36-year-old academic went viral for her controversial Olympic breakdancing routine. She defended her ‘original’ moves.

“My bag always has two main things: It’s like, my knee pads and my laptop,” Gunn said on “The Female Athlete Project” podcast. “Because I need my knee pads to break. And then, yeah, just do some emails quickly. Or like, do some revisions on a chapter I submitted, or copy edit this article I did, or moderate those grades.”

The athlete also told The Sydney Morning Herald that her preferred clothing choices while performing were “baggy jeans and a baggy T-shirt,” falling roughly in line with her chosen Olympic attire.

“I like the heaviness they bring, Gunn said. “Maybe it’s my background in hip-hop, but having weight closer to the ground works for me, gets me in the right headspace.”

Raygun’s performances at the Olympics sparked both memes and criticism

Raygun took the stage at the Olympics wearing a tracksuit in Australia’s green and gold, breaking out moves that included hopping like a kangaroo. Her performances quickly attracted attention online, and memes that, among other opinions, compared her to dancing children.

But as the Associated Press reported, some criticized Raygun’s performance given that it was representing breaking — a sport that will not return to the 2028 games in Los Angeles — on the world stage.

There’s also a racial element to breaking: As Business Insider previously reported, the art form came from Black and brown communities in the Bronx in the 1970s. Malik Dixon, who is African-American and lives in Australia, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that Gunn’s performance came off as “somebody who was toying with the culture” during a significant moment for the sport.

(Raygun’s full performances — and the rest of the 2024 Olympic events — are available to replay on Peacock.)

Both Raygun and breaking judges have defended her performance

Australian chef de mission Anna Meares (the person in charge of the national team) responded to criticism of Gunn online during a Saturday press conference the day after Gunn’s competition.

“I love Rachael, and I think that what has occurred on social media with trolls and keyboard warriors, and taking those comments and giving them airtime, has been really disappointing,” Meares said, per ESPN.

“Raygun is an absolutely loved member of this Olympic team. She has represented the Olympic team, the Olympic spirit with great enthusiasm. And I absolutely love her courage,” Meares continued. “I love her character, and I feel very disappointed for her, that she has come under the attack that she has.”

During a press conference on Sunday, breaking head judge Martin Gilian defended Gunn’s performance, saying that breaking was “all about originality” and representing your roots, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“This is exactly what Raygun was doing,” Gilian said. “She got inspired by her surroundings, which in this case, for example, was a kangaroo.”

Gunn said during the Saturday press conference that “all of my moves are original,” according to ESPN. She told The Guardian in an interview that her “creativity” was her biggest strength.

“I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best, the dynamic and the power moves, so I wanted to move differently, be artistic and creative,” Gunn told The Guardian. “Because how many chances to get to do that on an international stage. I was always the underdog and wanted to make my mark in a different way.”