Australian athletes speak out about Raygun as most successful Olympic team ever arrives home

Aussie athletes arriving home from the Olympics have moved to defend Rachael Gunn, also known as Raygun, after the breakdancer divided opinion following her performance in at the Paris Games. The Aussie medalists arrived home to a huge welcome on Wednesday morning after the team produced the nation's most successful Olympics Games ever in terms of gold.

The athletes also tallied Australia's highest medal count since the Sydney Olympics in 2004. Although their was unfortunate backlash for breakdancer Raygun in the final few days of competition. The 36-year-old failed to score a point in her three routines at the Olympics and has been mocked for some of her moves in the tournament.

While plenty of Aussies are welcoming Raygun as a cult hero for giving it her best shot, others have questioned her routine at the Olympics. Most recently, American late night TV host Jimmy Fallon mocked Raygun's performance in a segment that has divided opinion.

Raygun opted not to come home with the Aussie team travelling on Wednesday and is reportedly holidaying with her husband. Despite Raygun not being on the plane, she was still a big topic of discussion in the hangar as the other stars arrived. And many of the Aussie athletes defended their teammate from the brutal criticism she has received on the world stage.

Swimmer Cameron McEvoy said he was pleased to see the whole Aussie Olympics team rally behind her ahead of the closing ceremony. “She came in for the closing ceremony, and the whole team got around her," he said. "I think that’s good because it was in contrast to what she was receiving on social media and world media. I couldn’t imagine myself in that position because it would have been so tough. It’s just good to see the team get around her.”

Aussie boxer Harry Garside was another athlete to rally around Raygun and hit back at the internet trolls taking a shot at the 36-year-old Olympian. “She showed the Australian spirit which is to go out there and give it a crack. She’s such a superstar, and I think the whole of the Australian team is getting around her now," he added at the airport.

“There are so many people in this world who just critique, critique, critique, but they’re the ones that aren’t in the arena. Raygun and us Olympians are in the arena and having a crack, and that’s the Australian spirit.”

Gunn's criticism comes after the head judge of the breaking competition in Paris said the 36-year-old university professor was just trying to be original. Head judge Martin Gilian - known as MGbility - praised Raygun for her originality and said the reason she receives three consecutive scores of zero wasn't because she was bad. The other competitors were just better.

'Read More' Links region," head judge Martin Gilian - known as MGbility - said at a press conference. "This is exactly what Raygun was doing. She got inspired by her surroundings, which in this case, for example, was a kangaroo."

Aussie athletes bask in Olympics glory back at home

The Aussie athletes return home having won 18 gold medals, 19 silver and 16 bronze for a 53-medal haul. Many were ready reunite with family and friends. And Australia's most decorated Olympian of all time, Emma McKeon, called it a special moment to be greeted by so many.

"I guess it's just everything you train for and everything you work hard for," McKeon said after adding to her record Olympics tally of 14 medals while in Paris. "And I guess all the support that we've got around us as well, it's just as much their medal, so I think it's just coming home and seeing this and having my special people here and all that, it's just it makes it all worth it.

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McEvoy was thrilled to have finally one a gold medal at the Olympics and admitted his near misses in the past are behind him. "It took four goes to be able to come back on home soil with this beauty (his gold medal) but we got there in the end," McEvoy said. "It's been eight years since we've had a hangar introduction back on home soil post-Olympics, so that's nice."