Raygun quits competitive breakdancing after Olympic backlash
Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn, also known as Raygun, has announced her intention to withdraw from competition following the backlash over her performance at the Paris Olympics.
“I’m not going to participate anymore, no,” Gunn said on Australia’s 2DayFM “The Jimmy and Nath Show.” “I definitely wanted to keep competing, but that seems very difficult now to take a fight. Yeah, I mean, I still dance, and I still break. But you know, that’s just like in my living room with my partner. It was really disturbing. I just had no control over how people saw me or who I was.”
Gunn went viral online after her performance in the women’s event at the 2024 Olympics in August, where she was wiped out without scoring a single point. The Australian breakdancer spawned dozens of memes and was criticized by viewers for her unconventional moves as she competed with America’s Logan Edra, Lithuanian Dominika Banevič and France’s Sya Dembélé.
Gunn spoke out against the backlash she faced in a video message posted to her Instagram page that month. “When I went out there, I had fun. “I took it very seriously,” she said. “I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympic Games. I really gave it my all. I am honored to be part of the Australian Olympic team and to be part of Breaking’s Olympic debut.”
Gunn continued: “I would really like to ask the press to stop harassing my family, my friends, the Australian breakdancing community and the wider streetdance community. Everyone has been through a lot because of this. I ask that you respect their privacy.”
