One of the breakout sporting stars of the 2024 ParisOlympic Games has debuted a glamorous new look after undergoing a major transformation.
As with every edition of the Games, new sporting stars are thrown into the limelight as a result of their incredible achievements.
In Paris, however, one Australian athlete made headlines around the world – but not for the reasons she may have hoped.
Making its Olympics bow, breakdancing had hoped to garner the attention of a new, younger audience.
But the sport’s inclusion in Paris will, unfortunately, be best remembered for the antics of Australian B-girl Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn who failed to score a single point in all three of her heats but saw her performances go viral on social media.
Moves including a kangaroo hop, a snake-like wriggle on the floor and the sprinkler may have made millions laugh but also saw the Aussie targeted by online trolls, while she also wore abuse from The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon.
Many questioned how the 37-year-old had managed to qualify for the Games, while a petition was even created calling for the Australian chef de mission, Anna Meares, to be held accountable for ‘unethical conduct’.
Raygun was defiant in the face of such criticism, saying she had rightfully earned her spot at the Olympics but admitted she had been left ‘pretty devastated’ by the abuse she has faced.
‘I didn’t realise that would also open the door to so much hate which has frankly been pretty devastating,’ she said on social media at the time.
‘I went out there, I had fun, I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all, truly.
‘I am honoured to have been a part of the Australian Olympic team and to be a part of breaking’s Olympic debut. What the other athletes have achieved has just been phenomenal.’
However, while viewers may have been used to seeing Raygun in a green and gold tracksuit and baseball cap while performing in Paris, she has now debuted a stunning new look for the cover of this week’s Stellar Magazine.
The Australian, originally a university lecturer from Sydney, struck a strong pose with her hands on hips against a golden backdrop.
Rather than her usual attire, Raygun was instead sporting an elegant long blue dress with flared sleeves, a slick-back ponytail and a pair of black heels.
The interview is teased with the caption ‘What Raygun did next’ alongside a quote from the article which reads: ‘You did not bring me down. You did not succeed. I will stand by what I did.’
Although the Olympian’s stunning rise to fame had put breakdancing in the spotlight, Raygun was saddened that her performances may have detracted from other talented athletes.
‘As soon as I qualified, I was like, “Oh my gosh, what have I done?”, she told Australia’s Network 10 show ‘The Project’ back in September.
‘Because I knew that I was going to get beaten, and I knew that people were not going to understand my style and what I was going to do.
‘It is really sad to hear those criticisms and I am very sorry for the backlash that the community has experienced, but I can’t control how people react.
‘Unfortunately, we just need some more resources in Australia for us to have a chance to be world champions.
‘In the last year, I have trained my hardest. I have really put my body through it, put my mind through it. But if that’s not good enough for someone, what can I say?’