Remember that Australian breakdancer who went viral after competing during the 2024 Paris Olympics? Well, she’s back making headlines again, but don’t worry, it’s not because she’s dancing. Instead, it looks like we might not ever see Rachael “Raygun” Gunn again after she just dropped a bomb during a recent interview.
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It looks like y’all done sent poor Raygun into an early retirement! While speaking on Australian radio show 2DayFM, Raygun told listeners she’s done competing... and yes, it’s because of all the backlash.
“I’m not going to compete any more,” she said. “I was going to keep competing, for sure, but that seems really difficult for me to do now to approach a battle.” It seems the Australian dancer just couldn’t take all the heat from the internet. Online, Raygun was criticized by the Black community who said she “mocked” the art form. Comedian Rachel Dratch showed up on Jimmy Fallon in her best Raygun impression, and even Adele stopped her concert to laugh at what she called “the best thing that’s happened in the Olympics.”
“I mean I still dance, and I still break. But, you know, that’s like in my living room with my partner,” she continued. From the comfort of her own home, Raygun doesn’t have to worry about what all the haters have to say! She continued saying the online backlash was difficult for her. “It’s been really upsetting,” she said. “I just didn’t have any control over how people saw me or who I was.”
Now, it’s not like Raygun was even going to get the chance to come back to the next summer Olympics with her kangaroo-hopping, head-spinning moves. When the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics were announced, the committee made it very clear breakdancing would not make its return to the Games.
So prayer does work!
Despite the hate, Raygun said she found a silver lining. “The people that have like [said], ‘you have inspired me to go out there and do something that I’ve been too shy to do. You’ve brought joy, you’ve brought laughter. You know, we’re so proud of you,” she alleged.
In light of all the chaos going on in the world, it seems Raygun’s retirement is a sliver of hope for the future. If you can take any lesson from the Olympic disaster, it’s to do whatever makes you happy... unless Black people tell you not to.
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