Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn, known as 'Raygun', has decided to retire from competitive breakdancing following the intense scrutiny, criticism, and conspiracy theories that arose after her distinctive routine at the Paris Olympics went viral.
Gunn, a 37-year-old university lecturer, did not score in any of her three battles during the sport's Olympic debut in the French capital in August. Her unconventional performance, which featured moves like a kangaroo hop, quickly became an internet sensation, spawning numerous memes and widespread ridicule. This viral attention also led to conspiracy theories about her qualification for the Games and sparked discussions about the sport's merit and inclusion in the Olympics.
Initially, Gunn had intended to continue competing, but the overwhelming backlash changed her mind. 'I just didn’t have any control over how people saw me or who I was,' she told radio station 2DayFM. 'I was going to keep competing, for sure, but that seems really difficult for me to do now. I think the level of scrutiny that’s going to be there, and people will be filming it, and it will go online.'
Gunn revealed that she received a flood of abusive and violent messages after the Olympics, and was the target of an online petition accusing her of manipulating the qualification process to secure her spot at the Games. The petition garnered 50,000 signatures before being removed at the request of the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC). 'The conspiracy theories were totally wild,' Gunn said. 'But I just try and stay on the positives and that’s what gets me through.'
Despite the criticism, Gunn's performance was defended by an Olympic breakdancing judge and the AOC. In September, the World DanceSport Federation ranked her as the number-one female breakdancer globally. However, breaking was subsequently dropped from the Olympic programme for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles and is not scheduled for the 2032 Games in Brisbane.
Gunn's performance in Paris polarized the breaking community, with some peers supporting her while others felt she had tarnished the sport on the world's biggest stage. Although Gunn has no plans to return to competitive breakdancing, she won't completely abandon the dance form. 'I still dance and I still break,' she said. 'But that’s, like, in my living room with my partner.'
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