His performance will have left its mark. Australian breaker Raygun announced that she would stop competing and therefore put an end to her career as a breaker this Wednesday after being upset by the wave of largely negative reactions to her performance at the Paris Olympics.
Rachael “Raygun” Gunn, 37, a lecturer at the University of Sydney, was ridiculed by some and acclaimed by others for her unique performance during the Paris Games, where she failed to win any of her games. three duels against the 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 Australian radio station 2DayFM.
“I no longer had any control over how people saw me or who I was. I was really preparing to continue competing but now it seems like a really difficult thing for me,” Rachel Raygun said on Wednesday. With that level of attention, people filming her performance and posting it online “it just wouldn't be the same experience,” she added.
The breaker 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 Dance Sports Federation (WDSF) had nevertheless named her the best breaker in the world, with regard to the events organized between December 2023 and the Games, such as the Oceania championship from which she emerged victorious. 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.
