The 37-year-old University of Sydney teacher failed to make the scoreboard during her three rounds of competition in August, with a routine that included unorthodox moves such as a jump kangaroo.
Ms Gunn had initially planned to continue competing, but claimed the experience was so “upsetting” she changed her mind.
“I had no control over how people saw me or what I was. I was going to continue to compete, for sure, but it seems really difficult to do so now. I think the level of surveillance is going to be there, that people are going to film and that it is going to be put online.”
-Rachael Gunn, known as b-girl Raygun, on the radio station 2DayFM
Breaking was added to the Olympic program for the first time in history in Paris. And it could be the last, since the discipline was removed from the program for the Games in Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane, Australia, in 2032.
The one who nicknamed herself “Raygun” was then the victim of a smear campaign on social networks, with some Internet users even contesting the credibility of the Olympic selection process.
During a television interview for The Project on the Australian channel Channel 10 in September, she recounted being chased by cameras through the streets of Paris and facing public backlash to her performance.
“It was really wild,” she said. “If people come after me, what should I do? This really freaked me out. I was nervous about being in public. It was pretty nerve-wracking for a while.”
She apologized for causing all the controversy, once again defending her performance, and wanted to thank her fellow breakers for their support. She had already defended her Olympic qualification, and repeated it in the television interview.
“I won the Oceania championships. It was a direct qualification,” she said. “There were nine judges, all from abroad. I knew my chances were slim as soon as I qualified for the Olympics.”
“People didn’t understand the breakup and were just angry at my performance,” she added. “The conspiracy theories were terrible and it really upset me. People are now attacking our reputation and our integrity – none of these theories were based on fact.”
His performance was mocked online and on television, including in a sketch on Jimmy Fallon’s late-night show.
During her Sydney radio interview on Wednesday, Ms Gunn said she would not completely stop break riding. “I keep dancing and breaking,” she said. “But it’s in my living room, with my partner.”
