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Raygun says she's done with competitive breaking after viral Olympic fame

Raygun says she's done with competitive breaking after viral Olympic fame

Raygun will limit her breakdancing to the living room in the future. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Rachael “Raygun” Gunn is saying goodbye to competitive breakdancing, just months after becoming the sport’s viral star at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 37-year-old reflected on her experiences during an interview on 2DayFM's The Jimmy & Nath Show in Australia as she revealed she was tired of breaking through in the competition, although she will continue to do so in her personal life:

“I still drop out, but I don’t compete. I'm not going to compete anymore, no… I definitely wanted to keep competing, but it seems really difficult for me to take on a fight now.” Yeah, I mean, I still dance and I still take breaks, but that's like in my living room with my partner.

Gunn received international ridicule in August when social media took notice of her breaking routine, which included a series of moves that could be described as unorthodox at best. Gunn didn't score a point in her three opening round games but walked away with her head held high.

Controversy ensued, with some observers becoming so focused on Gunn's life and career that she publicly asked for her family to be left alone. The Australian Olympic Committee stood by her after a petition called for an investigation into how she made the Olympic team and another petition called for an apology.

Gunn complained about the conspiracy theorists again on Wednesday:

“It's surreal and still hard to process. The conspiracy theories were completely wild and it was really upsetting because I felt like I had no control over how people saw me or who I was, who my partner was, my story.” So it was really upsetting for a variety of reasons . People still don't listen and people still don't read.

In a strange twist, Gunn was named the No. 1 female athlete after the Olympics (as of Wednesday, she is ranked No. 17) due to better results in other competitions. To the surprise of a few, the sport was also removed from the Los Angeles Olympic program for 2028.

One of the main reasons Gunn stopped competing was the amount of attention she would face if she ever entered the arena again:

“I think there will be a high level of control and people will film it and it will go online. It just won’t mean the same, it won’t be the same experience because everything is on the line.”

Therefore, Gunn will leave the Olympics as her last official dance. Going forward, she hinted that “some projects will take place behind the scenes” and will primarily focus on promoting positivity and getting people to “be their authentic selves.” She also recently revealed a makeover on the cover of Australian magazine Stellar.

In the meantime, she continues her job as a lecturer at the Macquarie University Faculty of Arts.

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