Australian breaker Rachael Gunn, also known as Raygun, has announced her retirement from competitive breaking following the intense backlash she received after her performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The 37-year-old, who works as a university lecturer, faced heavy online criticism after failing to score any points in her three rounds. Her routine, which included unique spins and her signature kangaroo hop, was ridiculed by many.
Reflecting on the experience, Gunn expressed how difficult it was to deal with the negative response, describing the level of abuse as “pretty devastating.” She confirmed her decision to retire from competitive events during an interview with Sydney radio station 2DayFM.
“I’m not going to compete anymore, no,” Gunn said. “I was going to keep competing, for sure, but that seems really difficult for me to do now to approach a battle. Yeah, I mean I still dance, and I still break. But, you know, that’s like in my living room with my partner.”
The criticism surrounding her performance, along with the constant online scrutiny, had a profound emotional impact on Gunn. “It’s been really upsetting. I just didn’t have any control over how people saw me or who I was,” she added. “I think the level of scrutiny that’s going to be there, and people will be filming it, and it will go online.”
Despite the surge of interest in breaking as it debuted in the Paris 2024 Olympics, the sport will not be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Games and is unlikely to feature in the 2032 Brisbane Games either.