Australia’s Rachael Gunn, generally known as B-Woman Raygun, competes throughout the Spherical Robin Battle on the breaking competitors at La Concorde City Park on the 2024 Summer season Olympics on Aug. 9, in Paris. Her efficiency drew laughs and criticism and now Gunn is responding.
Frank Franklin/AP
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Frank Franklin/AP
Raygun, the Australian breakdancer who obtained ongoing backlash for her efficiency within the Paris Olympics, stated she is retiring from competing.
Raygun, whose actual identify is Rachael Gunn, stated on Australian radio earlier this week that she doesn’t need to endure the criticism that might include future performances presumably being recorded and posted on-line.
“It’s simply not gonna imply the identical factor,” she stated. “It’s not going to be the identical expertise due to every part that’s at stake.”
Breaking debuted as an Olympic sport over the summer time. Throughout the competitors in Paris, Gunn failed to attain any factors, shedding 18-0 in every of her three round-robin battles.
Reactions to Gunn’s efficiency ranged from declarations of her strikes being eccentric, to questions on her place within the sport as a white lady in academia, given the dance fashion’s roots within the early New York hip-hop scene. Her routine was made into memes and spoofed on late night time tv.
“It’s surreal and it’s nonetheless unimaginable to course of,” she stated.
Talking on Australia’s 2DayFM The Jimmy and Nath Present, Gunn quashed the prospect of a future Olympic efficiency. “Say in 4 years time, would you do the Olympics once more,” requested present co-host Nathan Roye. Gunn shortly stated no.
She added, “It was actually upsetting as a result of I felt like I simply didn’t have any management over how individuals noticed me — or who I used to be, who my companion was, my story.”
Although breaking will not be part of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Gunn stated previous to the backlash, she did plan on persevering with to compete after the Paris Olympics had been over.
“That appears a extremely troublesome factor for me to do now, to method a battle,” she stated. “I imply, I nonetheless dance and I nonetheless break, however that’s, like, in my lounge with my companion.”
Gunn stated she has relied on memes and constructive messages from followers to steadiness out the negativity.
Regardless of not medaling in Paris, Gunn has represented Australia within the World Championships 3 times and gained the Oceania Breaking Championships final 12 months.
She stated she is engaged on different initiatives that “encourage individuals to bop and have enjoyable and be artistic and be themselves.”
