Australian breaker Raygun announced Wednesday that she was leaving the competition after being upset by the wave of mostly negative reactions to her performance at the Paris Olympics.
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Rachael “Raygun” Gunn, 37, a lecturer at the University of Sydney, was ridiculed by some and acclaimed by others for her unique performance in Paris, where she failed to win any of her three head-to-head matches. -face with other B-Girls.
Raygun’s moves, including his imitation of a kangaroo, and his Australian-colored tracksuit have been parodied around the world, including by American television host Jimmy Fallon. She was the subject of even more virulent criticism and mockery online.
Faced with the “really upsetting” reactions, “I am no longer going to participate in competitions,” the breaker announced to the Australian radio station 2DayFM. “I was really preparing to continue competing but now it seems like a really difficult thing for me,” Raygun said Wednesday.
With that level of attention, people filming her performance and posting it online “it just wouldn’t be the same experience,” she said. The breaker had previously said she did not imagine that her performance would open the door “to so much hatred, which was frankly quite devastating”. “I worked hard to prepare for the Olympic Games and I gave everything I had, really,” she assured.
Made fun of, the breaker received the support of Australian athletes and the Prime Minister of her country. In September, the World Dancesport Federation (WDSF) named her the best breaker in the world, based on events organized between December 2023 and the Games, such as the Oceania Championship from which she emerged victorious during this period.
Present for the first time at the Paris Olympic Games, breaking will not feature at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, in the United States.
