- French breaker aims vulgar taunt at Aussie teenager
- Breakdancing has been in the spotlight in Paris
Australian schoolboy breaker Jeff ‘J-Attack’ Dunne has copped a cruel taunt from French rival Danis ‘Dany Dann’ Civil at the Paris Olympics, who appeared to mock the size of his manhood.
Dunne, 16, lost all three of his breaking battles on Sunday – but it was his second battle with 36-year-old Civil that raised eyebrows.
With the Aussie well and truly beaten, Civil pulled a move where he mimicked pulling Dunne’s pants down.
Civil then walked away pointing at Dunne’s groin and laughing. He then held up his finger and thumb, insinuating that he was lacking below the belt.
The Frenchman went on to later win the silver medal, with Canadian B-Boy Phil Wizard claiming gold and bringing the dance sport competition to a close.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Olympic chief has slammed critics of breakdancer Rachael Gunn as typical of misogynistic abuse which female athletes endure.
Chef de mission Anna Meares says Gunn should be applauded for her courage, rather than pilloried for her performance at the Paris Games.
Gunn, known as Raygun, failed to score a point when breaking made its debut as an Olympic sport in Paris on Friday.
Jeff ‘J-Attack’ Dunne copped a cruel taunt from Danis ‘Dany Dann’ Civil at the Olympics
Dunne, 16, lost all three of his breaking battles on Sunday in Paris
Gunn has since been a target of criticism for not only her performance but her appearance, online and in some mainstream media.
She hopped like a kangaroo, resembled a T-Rex at times and rolled around the floor in a disjointed way that confused and amused Aussies back home watching the sport for the first time.
Gunn hit back at her critics and blasted the IOC for scrapping the sport for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
‘I love Rachael,’ Meares told reporters on Saturday.
‘What has occurred on social media with trolls and keyboard warriors, and taking those comments and giving them air time, has been really disappointing.
Breakdancing has been in the spotlight in Paris after a performance from Dunne’s teammate
Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn’s breaking routines saw her go viral for all the wrong reasons after she failed to pick up a single point as the sport made its Olympics debut
‘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. I love her character and I feel very disappointed for her, that she has come under the attack that she has.’
Gunn, a 36-year-old Australian university lecturer, lost all three of her round-robin battles by a combined score of 54-0.
She works for Sydney’s Macquarie University as a creative arts researcher specialising in ‘the cultural politics of breakdancing’, and she also has a PhD in the sport.
‘In 2008, she was locked in a room crying, being involved in a male-dominated sport as the only woman,’ Meares said.
‘And it took great courage for her to continue on and fight for her opportunity to participate in a sport that she loved.
‘That got her to winning the Olympic qualifying event to be here in Paris.
‘She is the best breakdancer female that we have for Australia.’
