Rachael “Raygun” Gunn has concluded her career in competitive breaking. Following her viral performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 37-year-old Australian breaker revealed this week that she’s calling it quits.
Gunn announced this while appearing on The Jimmy & Nath Show, explaining that everything she went through in France and its aftermath has sapped all of the joy she used to get out of competing. “I don’t think people should feel crap about the way they dance,” she said, before adding, “I still break, but I don’t compete. I’m not going to compete anymore.“
Raygun became instantly internet famous back on August 9th when her unique routine in Paris had social media users racing to their keyboards. At first, it appeared to be a playful affair, but in the following weeks, a Change.org petition emerged to question the fairness of the selection process that led her to the Games.
“The conspiracy theories were totally wild,” Gunn said. “And it was really upsetting because I felt like I didn’t have any control over how people saw me or who I was, who my partner was, or my story. It was really upsetting for a number of different reasons.” The overwhelming attention compelled the Australian to record a video, pleading with her critics to back off. Now, months later, it’s clear it all took a huge toll on her.
“Look, it’s surreal,” she said. “And, it’s still impossible to process.” Gunn won the QMS Oceania Championships in Sydney, an automatic Olympic qualifying competition with 15 breakers. She previously acknowledged that she faced significant challenges when competing in the Olympics.
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) requested the removal of the petition that alleged she manipulated the qualification process, calling it “disgraceful” and saying it spread misinformation. AOC chief executive Matt Carroll defended Gunn, saying the petition was an attempt to spread “hate against an athlete.”
Despite the controversy surrounding her performance, Gunn garnered support from a wide range of Australians, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who praised her performance, and former Australian soccer player Craig Foster, who wrote, “Raygun stepped up and did her stuff in front of the world, her way.” Not everyone can say that in life.”
In a later interview, Gunn clarified that she is not retiring from the sport altogether. “I’m still going to dance; I’m still going to go to community jams,” she said, but she would no longer be taking part in “elite competitions and the Olympics.”
Raygun has given up on competitive breaking, but she did promise to occasionally appear in her living room. Happy now, internet trolls? Breaking isn’t slated to appear on the Olympic program in the 2028 Games in Los Angeles or the 2032 Games in Brisbane, Australia. In terms of what’s next for Gunn, it appears her Paris routine will be her last official dance.
She holds a position as a university lecturer at Macquarie University in Sydney and said she’s working on “some projects happening behind the scenes.” “It’s all about trying to bring more positivity, encouraging people to dance, have fun, be creative, and to be themselves, to be their authentic selves, whatever that might look like,” she said.