Breakdancer Raygun Announces Her Retirement After How Everyone Reacted To Her Performance At The Olympics
I’m not wildly into following sports, but I did find Raygun one of the highlights of this year’s Olympic lineup.
Raygun, whose actual name is Rachael Gunn, is a 37-year-old Australian breakdancer who skyrocketed to fame back in August.
She delivered a pretty memorable performance at the Olympics, though it didn’t earn her a gold medal or a spot at the top.
Her performance received a zero at the Paris Olympics, but it did go viral. Many people slammed her style, but you can’t argue that it was completely unique.
This also happened to be the first time breakdancing was added to the Olympics, making it the only novel sport added this year.
Video clips of her Olympic work made the rounds on social media, with some people applauding her and others bashing her.
Usually, when you think of breakdancing, you think of iconic head spins and more outlandish moves.
Raygun’s most intriguing moves in her routine featured lying on her side while touching her toes, sliding smoothly across the floor, and jumping like a kangaroo.
After making an appearance on an Australian radio show called 2DayFM, she announced yesterday that she will be retiring permanently due to the backlash that washed over her following her debut at the Olympics.
Instagram – @raygun_aus – pictured above Raygun snaps a selfie in a mirror
“I’m not going to compete anymore, no,” Raygun admitted on air. “I was going to keep competing, for sure, but that seems really difficult for me to do now to approach a battle.”
She went on to say that she does still breakdance as well as dance in general, but now it’s limited to her living room and enjoying her hobby alongside her partner, which is well out of the public eye.
What hurt her the most was how people reacted to her performance and how they ultimately perceived her in the aftermath.
“It’s been really upsetting,” Raygun said. “I just didn’t have any control over how people saw me or who I was.”
Now, back in August, people on social media falsely accused Raygun of somehow manipulating the selection process of the Olympics to ensure she could go to Paris.
She denied these baseless accusations, and she said she was upset about them being made in the first place.
“I’m glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives; that’s what I hoped,” she explained in an Instagram video she shared in response to the allegations.
“I didn’t realize that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating.”
“While I went out there and I had fun, I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off, preparing for the Olympics, and I gave my all. Truly. I’m honored to have been a part of the Australian Olympic Team and to be part of breaking’s Olympic debut.”
Did you watch Raygun’s Olympic performance?
You can follow Raygun on Instagram here.
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