Rachel ‘Raygun’ Gunn has clarified claims over her breakdancing future and claimed that she is ‘not retiring’ after stating on Wednesday that she no longer wanted to compete in the Olympics after receiving backlash online.Â
When pressed on reports that had emerged on Wednesday over whether she was retiring on Channel 10’s The Project, she said: ‘Raygun’s not retiring!’Â
‘It’s gotten so much attention,’ she said. ‘I was on Today FM and I was talking about competing and I don’t really see myself competing anymore.Â
‘And then global news – Raygun is retiring – and it’s just got a little bit out of hand. It’s not me that’s retiring guys! It’s Ray Hadley! He’s the one that’s retiring!’ she added, speaking on Aussie radio star Hadley, who announced his retirement on Thursday.Â
Explaining her decision, the Aussie Olympian said she would continue to dance and compete in community events but would be stepping back from the Olympics and elite-level competitions.Â
‘It’s different in breaking culture, I’m still going to dance and go to community jams and get down and dance and enter community dance,’ the 37-year-old said.Â
‘But in terms of elite competitions and the Olympics – which by the way, breaking is not in the next Olympics – it kind of turned into a really big thing today. I’ve been getting some really lovely messages from people…Â But I’m still going!’Â
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 while speaking with Sydney’s 2DayFM Jimmy & Nath.Â
During the radio show, she was pressed on whether she would be competing at an Olympic Games in the future, to which she replied: ‘No! 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.’
More to follow…Â
