Australian breakdancer Rachael “Raygun” Gunn has announced her retirement from competition after receiving “really upsetting” backlash for her Paris Olympics performance.
According to Malay Mail, Gunn's performance during the 2024 Paris Games sparked widespread criticism, and her moves became a laughing point on social media.
She said the intense scrutiny of her performance made her upset and forced her to take the decision to not participate in the competitions anymore.
Raygun told Australian radio station 2DayFM on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, “I’m not going to compete anymore. I was going to keep competing for sure, but that seems like a really difficult thing for me to do now. The level of scrutiny that’s going to be there. People will be filming it; it will be going online, and it’s just not going to be the same experience.”
The Aussie break dancer previously spoke about the “pretty devastating” hatred she received during the Paris Olympics.
In a video after the games, the 37-year-old asserted, “I went out there and I had fun. I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics, and I gave my all.”
Raygun revealed that she would continue to dance but not in the competition, saying, “I mean, I still dance, and I still break. But, you know, that’s like in my living room with my partner. Dancing is so much fun, and it makes you feel good. I don’t think people should feel crap about the way that they dance.”
To note, the World Dance Sport Federation (WDSF) named her the best women’s break dancer after she won the Oceania Championship.
