Australian breakdancing sensation Rachel ‘Raygun’ Gunn has revealed that she will not compete again after she received a barrage of ‘upsetting’ abuse following her performances in Paris.
The university lecturer has been keeping a low profile since the summer Games but has spoken out on how she was left heartbroken by the ‘devastating’ online hate she received in the aftermath of the Olympics.
Raygun, 37, went viral following her unique performances at the Place de la Concorde earlier this summer, with the B-girl hopping like a kangaroo and writhing around on the floor like a snake.
She went on to score no points in all three of her matches in Paris.
While some were in awe of the Olympic breakdancer, including music sensation Adele – who recently paused one of her shows to laud the New South Wales-born dancer – Raygun was hit with scrutiny and criticism from many online.
On Wednesday, the Australian confirmed on Sydney’s 2DayFM Jimmy & Nath for Breakfast that she doesn’t want to compete again as she ruled out making an appearance at the 2028 Olympics.
‘It’s been really upsetting,’ she said. ‘I just didn’t have any control over how people saw me or who I was.’
Raygun, in fact, would stay the world’s No.1 female breakdancer after the Games but admits she’s not interested in competing in Los Angeles in 2028.
Aussie Olympic breakdancing sensation Rachel ‘Raygun’ Gunn (pictured) has spoken out on her future in breakdancing
‘Say in four years’ time, would you go, would you do the Olympics again?’ Nath said to the breaking star.
‘No,’ she replied laughing. ‘Nooooooo.’
When pressed over whether she would continue to break, Raygun replied: ‘I still Break, but I don’t compete. I’m not going to compete anymore. No. No.’
Recently, Raygun has hit back at online trolls after she appeared on the front cover of Stellar Magazine. During an interview with the outlet, she claimed that while her ‘whole world has changed’ she would not be letting the criticism get to her.
But speaking to Jimmy and Nath, the university lecturer added that before heading to Paris, she has now reevaluated her future in the sport following the Paris Olympics.
‘Yeah, I was going to keep competing [at future Olympic Games] for sure but that seems really difficult for me to do now to approach a battle,’ she said to the radio show.
‘To keep pushing forward?’ Nath asked.
‘Yeah, I mean I still dance, and I still Break. But you know, that’s like in my living room with my partner!’ she laughed.
Opening up on the scrutiny, Raygun admits that she knows that there is going to be a level of scrutiny towards her, adding that competing at the games will never be the same because of that.
Jimmy asked: ‘Is it sort of like, potentially you can, you’ve lost it before you even go out because people have an opinion about you already?’
‘I think the level of scrutiny that’s going be there,’ Raygun replied.
The Olympic breakdancing star was criticised for her routine in which she hopped around like a kangaroo – and now she has announced that will be her last competitive performance
‘You know, the people will be filming it, it’ll go online and it’s just not going mean the same thing.
‘It’s not going to be the same experience because of everything that’s at stake.’
As for what the future holds, Raygun has also recently denied that she would be going on reality television despite speculation growing that she could enter the jungle.
‘Dancing is so much fun and it makes you feel good,’ she added during the podcast.
‘I don’t think people should feel c*** about the way that they dance.
‘If you get out there and you have fun on the dance floor, then just own it.’
She also opened up on conspiracy theories that have surrounded her Olympic Games appearances, with some bizarrely claiming that Raygun had been planted at the games.
‘Somebody thought you were planted like you were just put there to make noise,’ Jimmy said.
But Raygun says she will no longer put herself forwards to compete at future Olympic Games
But speaking out on how she has come through the criticism, Raygun said: ‘Look, it’s surreal.
‘It’s still impossible to process. The conspiracy theories were totally wild.
She added: ‘But I just try and stay on the positives and that’s what gets me through. The people that have like [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’ve brought laughter, you know we’re so proud of you.
‘And just like really f****** lovely things that people have written and that is just what I hold on to.’
