Raygun retires: Australian viral Olympic breakdancer’s competitive days are over

Rachael Gunn, the Australian breakdancer who went viral at the Paris Olympics, has confirmed she will no longer compete in the sport.

Competing under the name “Raygun”, the Australian athlete’s vision for the 2024 Games caught fire online, spawning a flood of memes and reaction videos.

While most of the reactions were good-natured, Gunn did get a bit heated, with some claiming her unique moves showed a lack of respect for the sport and other athletes.

Speaking on Sydney radio station 2DayFMthe 37-year-old confirmed she would no longer compete at any level.

“I still break, but I don’t compete. I’m not going to compete anymore. No. No,” Gunn said.

“I definitely wanted to keep competing, but that seems very difficult now to take a fight.

“I still dance and I still break. But you know what, that’s just like being in my living room with my partner!

“The level of scrutiny, people are going to film it and it’s going to go online, but it’s just not going to mean the same thing.”

Gunn, who has a PhD in cultural studies, also shared a message from her experience.

“Dancing is so much fun and it makes you feel good. “I don’t think people should feel bad about the way they dance,” she added.

“If you’re going to go out and have fun on the dance floor, just own it.”

Will Breaking take place at the 2028 Olympics?

Although breakdancing, or breaking, was included for the first time at the Paris Olympics, it could also be the last time the sport appears at the event.

With five new or returning sports – baseball/softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash – set to be added to the Los Angeles roster in four years, breaking ground hasn’t happened yet.

Regardless, Raygun has said that even if that were the case, she would not raise her hand to represent Australia again.

In Paris, Canada’s Philip Kim took gold in the B-Boys event, while Japan’s Ami Yuasa was the B-Girls gold medalist.