B-girl Raygun: Breaking into the Olympics

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Known to many as breakdancing, breaking sprung up in the economic and social unrest of 1970s New York, as a form of expressive protest. Today, it’s also a globalised and dizzyingly virtuosic competitive dancesport - and now it's making its debut at the Olympics. We follow Australian competitor Rachael Gunn (b-girl Raygun) as she hits pause on her day-job as a university lecturer and prepares for her debut on the Olympics stage. In conversations across the final 100 days, as she practises at home in Sydney, tests out new moves in the UK, and gets settled in Paris, we hear about the challenges of training, experimenting, and honing her performance. Breaking competitions aren't about crafting and replicating a routine: during one-minute, one-to-one battles, you have to respond creatively to what your opponent does and foster your own style. So what techniques can she use to prepare for the unknown? Can you practice personality? And where does sport end and art begin? Image: Rachael 'Raygun' Gunn poses in the Sydney central business district in April 2024 (Credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)