BRISBANE, Australia — For Australian breaker Rachael Gunn, first came her polarizing performance at the Olympics, followed by her panic when she was chased through the streets of Paris.
The 37-year-old university lecturer from Sydney — her birthday was on Monday — bewildered expert and casual viewers alike in the sport of breaking with an unconventional routine that included mimicking a kangaroo.
Breaking was being contested at an Olympics for the first time . And it might be a one-and-done, not scheduled on the Olympic program for Los Angeles in 2028 or for Brisbane, Australia in 2032.
"Raygun'' as she was known, was later ridiculed on social media, with some posts also questioning the Olympic qualifying process.
In a television interview for The Project on Australia's Channel 10, she told of being chased by cameras through Paris streets and how she dealt with the very public reaction to her performance.
''That was really wild,'' she said in rare public comments since the event. ''If people are chasing me, what do I do? That really did put me in a state of panic. I was nervous to be out in public. It was pretty nerve-wracking for a while."
She apologized for the commotion, but again defended her performance and said she was thankful for support from others in the sport.
''It is really sad to hear those criticisms,'' she said. "I am very sorry for the backlash that the community has experienced, but I can't control how people react. The energy and vitriol that people had was pretty alarming.
