The breakdancer Raygun, who made headlines at the 2024 Paris Olympics, says she will no longer compete in breakdancing following backlash after her Olympic debut performances.
Raygun, whose real name is Rachael Gunn, recently told Australian radio show "Jimmy & Nath For Breakfast" on 2DayFm that although she continues to dance and break, she won't be doing it professionally any longer and wouldn't participate in breaking at another Olympics if the sport returned.
"I still break but I don't compete anymore. No, no," Gunn, 37, said.
Gunn had previously placed first in the Oceania Championship and represented Australia in breaking at the Paris Games, where the sport made its debut as well.
She ended up losing her three round-robin battles with a score of 54-0, and her breaking moves, including one inspired by a kangaroo's hop, gave rise to countless memes and jokes on social media.
Gunn, who is also a university lecturer, holds a doctorate in breakdancing and said she had wanted to continue her breaking career before the Olympics.
"I was going to keep competing, for sure, but yeah, that seems [like a] really difficult thing for me to do now, to approach a battle," Gunn continued. "I still dance and I still break but you know, that's like in my living room with my partner."
Gunn previously spoke out in August about the "hate" and backlash she received following her Olympic performance and said she continues to try to process the inordinate amount of attention she has received since then.
"I felt like I just didn't have any control over how people saw me or who I was, who my partner was, my story," Gunn said. "And so it was really upsetting for a number of different reasons. And people still don't listen, and people still don't read."
Gunn said despite it all, she is trying to focus on positivity and encourages others to continue dancing.
"That's what gets me through. You know, the people that have [said], 'You have inspired me to go out there and do something that I've been too shy to do. You've brought joy, you brought laughter. We're so proud of you,' and just really freaking lovely things that people have written and that's what I hold on to," Gunn said.
