Gunn, known as B-girl Raygun, expressed that the judgment and criticism overshadowed her passion for dancing, leading to her decision to step back from competitive breaking.
**B-Girl Raygun Calls It Quits: Olympic Backlash Sparks Retirement**
**B-Girl Raygun Calls It Quits: Olympic Backlash Sparks Retirement**
Australian breaker Rachael Gunn decides to retire after facing intense scrutiny following her Olympic performance.
Australian breaker Rachael Gunn, widely recognized as B-girl Raygun, has announced her retirement from competitive breaking in the wake of an overwhelming backlash to her performance at the Paris Olympics. Despite her initial intentions to continue competing, the 37-year-old university lecturer revealed that the scrutiny she faced following her three rounds, where she failed to score, has made it impossible for her to do so.
Gunn’s unique routine, which featured moves like the sprinkler and the kangaroo hop, gained her both global attention and ridicule, igniting a torrent of conspiracy theories regarding her qualifications and stirring up controversy surrounding breaking's inclusion in the Olympic Games.
In an emotional interview with local radio station 2DayFM, she shared, "I was going to keep competing, for sure, but that seems really difficult for me to do now. I just didn’t have any control over how people saw me or who I was."
The backlash included a barrage of violent messages and an anonymous petition demanding an apology for her alleged ‘manipulation’ of Olympic selection, a claim that was vehemently denied by Olympic officials who defended her. The controversy not only divided opinions within the breaking community, with some asserting she undermined the sport's integrity, but it also reignited the debate about breaking's future in the Olympics, especially with its absence from the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Gunn previously expressed that the negative feedback took the joy out of her passion for dance. She reflected on this during her recent interview, stating, "Dancing is so much fun, and it makes you feel good. I don’t think people should feel crap about the way that they dance." While she may not return to the competitive scene, she reaffirmed her love for dancing privately. "I still dance, and I still break. But, you know, that’s like in my living room with my partner!"
