Lowe Napalan Admits Lack of Coaching for Olympic Breaker Rachael Gunn

Australian Breaking Association president Lowe Napalan has admitted he could not give Olympic breaker Rachael Gunn the coaching attention expected of a Games athlete, saying his administrative workload left him on the fringes of her preparation.

Napalan, who doubled as head coach for Australia’s Olympic breaking campaign, told a documentary – as reported by the Daily Mail – that he was pulled away from hands‑on coaching by off-floor duties tied to the team’s broader campaign.

“I was doing a lot more administrative work. In terms of Raygun’s training specifically, I was only there assisting a handful of times,” he said, estimating he attended fewer than 10 of her training sessions.

The gap went beyond the gym. Napalan revealed he had minimal contact with Gunn in the crucial final months before the Games and did not see her full routine until shortly before she stepped onto the Olympic stage. When he finally watched the completed set from the side of the stage, he admitted he was taken aback and struggled to hide his reaction as the performance unfolded.

With Napalan occupied, much of Gunn’s preparation fell to her husband, fellow breaker Samuel Free, who took the lead role in overseeing her training. That dynamic, and the couple’s path to qualification, became a lightning rod once the Olympics were over.

Gunn and Free quickly found themselves at the centre of an online storm. Critics questioned their credentials and pushed conspiracy theories suggesting they had gamed the qualification system. According to the Daily Mail, both reject those accusations outright in the documentary and insist the process was legitimate.

Gunn also offers a blunt assessment of her own level heading into the Games. She said she knew before Paris that she did not have the technical arsenal to seriously threaten the world’s elite breakers. Even so, the idea of pulling out never gained traction in her mind.

“I don’t like to have regrets and I think that I knew deep down if I walked away, I would have regretted it more,” she said, explaining why she chose to compete despite the gulf in class she anticipated.

The backlash since has been fierce, but it has not driven her away from the scene. Gunn says she remains committed to breaking and intends to stay in the sport, determined to keep battling in a culture that has already tested her resolve on its biggest stage.