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Australian breaker Rachael Gunn has announced she will retire from competition, citing the viral response to her performance at the Paris Olympics.
Gunn – known as B-girl Raygun – failed to make the scoreboard during her three rounds of competition in August, with a routine that included unorthodox moves, such as the sprinkler and a kangaroo jump.
The 37-year-old university professor's actions have catapulted her to worldwide attention and ridicule, spawned conspiracy theories about her qualification and reignited criticism over the breakdown in gender inclusion. athlete at the Olympic Games.
Gunn had initially planned to continue competing, but said the saga had been so “upsetting” that she changed her mind.
“I just had no control over how people saw me or who I was,” she told local radio station 2DayFM on Wednesday.
“I was going to continue to compete, for sure, but it seems really hard to do now.
“I think the level of scrutiny will be there, and people will film it, and it will be posted online.”
Gunn received a torrent of violent messages after the Olympics and was the subject of an anonymous petition demanding she apologize. He falsely accused her and her husband of manipulating his selection to the detriment of other Australian talent.
She was vigorously defended by Olympic officials, but her performance divided opinion within the breakdancing community, with some saying she made a mockery of the sport.
It also reignited the question of whether station wagon – which debuted in Paris but is not on the program for the 2028 Los Angeles Games – should have been included in the Olympics, due to the creative nature of the genre , which is not necessarily suitable for organized competition.
Gunn has previously said the negative reaction took away her joy in the sport, something she alluded to again on Wednesday.
“Dancing is so much fun and it makes you feel good. I don't think people should feel bad about the way they dance.
“I still dance, and I still break. But, you know, it's like in my living room with my partner!”
