Raygun Speaks Out In First Interview Since Paris Olympics

She will no longer compete

Australian breakdancer Raygun, whose real name is Rachael Gunn has announced she is retiring from competitive breakdancing following the backlash over her Paris Olympic performance.

The University lecturer became an overnight sensation with her signature moves such as the kangaroo but lost all three of her round robin battles after scoring zero points.

The 37-year-old was mocked online and in the mainstream media for everything from her moves to her green official team kit.

Gunn announced her retirement on Sydney radio, saying she was still breaking but not competing.

She said: “I’m not going to compete any more, no. I was going to keep competing, for sure, but that seems really difficult for me to do now to approach a battle.

“Yeah, I mean I still dance, and I still break. But, you know, that’s like in my living room with my partner.

“It’s been really upsetting. I just didn’t have any control over how people saw me or who I was.”

Despite not making much progress in the Olympics, upon her return, Raygun was ranked the number one breakdancer in the world.

The sport made its debut at the Paris Olympics in a move that divided opinion but has been dropped for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

Gunn added that she would consider coming out of retirement if the sport returned to the Olympic programme.

An online petition that accused Gunn of manipulating the qualification procedure to earn her Paris spot attracted 50,000 signatures before it was removed at the request of the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC).

The AOC was also forced to defend claims that Gunn’s husband, Samuel Free, who is also her coach, was involved in the selection process.

Gunn said:  “The conspiracy theories were totally wild. But I just try and stay on the positives and that’s what gets me through.

“The people that have like (said), ‘you have inspired me to go out there and do something that I’ve been too shy to do. You’ve brought joy, you’ve brought laughter. You know, we’re so proud of you.’”

At the end of last month, Raygun announced a competition challenging people to try and do better than her with the chance of winning £10,000.