BREAK DANCER RAYGUN QUITS COMPETING IN SPORT AFTER OLYMPICS BACKLASH

After going viral for her Olympic appearance, Rachael Gunn, better known by her stage name Raygun, has confirmed that she has decided to stop competitive breakdancing.

You don't even need to be a sports fan to be aware of Raygun's Paris 2024 moment, in which she competed for her nation, Australia, in the women's breaking competition.

Many social media users shared videos and pictures of the breakdancer's performance, some with more positive remarks than others after her unconventional moves catapulted her into the public eye.

Following the global recognition of her face, Raygun reflected on the experience during her November 5 appearance on the Jimmy & Nath Show.

She went on to say that she had made the decision to give up competitive breakdancing. “I’m not going to compete anymore, but I would still break," Raygun stated. I was definitely going to continue competing, but it seems like a really tough thing for me to do right now, to go into a battle... I mean, I still break and dance, but only with my partner in my living room.".

The dancer noted that she would now be subject to a "level of scrutiny" at competitions that she had not previously encountered because of her Olympic performance, saying: "People will be filming it and it will go online, and it just has to not mean the same thing." Due to all of the factors involved, the experience won't be the same.

In a follow-up appearance on Australia's The Project today (November 7), Raygun clarified that she was simply stepping out of the spotlight rather than completely retiring.

"I was discussing competing, and yes, I don't really see myself competing anymore," she stated. Then, it kind of got out of control when someone said, "Global news: Raygun is retiring."

The dancer went on to say, "Raygun's not retiring." However, as I mentioned in the interview, I'm still going to dance because breaking culture is different. I will continue dancing and attending community jams. It's still likely that I'll get down, dance, and participate in a community jam, etc.

"But it kind of turned into a really big thing today in terms of those elite competitions and the Olympics, which by the way, breaking is not even in the Olympics in the next one."

Breakdancing was not one of the 28 sports that were approved for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, according to the announcement made in 2022