Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn has announced her retirement from breakdancing after receiving abuse in the wake of her viral performance at the Paris Olympics.

Back in August, Gunn failed to score in all three of her competition rounds. The Australian received widespread criticism as a result of her concerning routine, which included unorthodox moves including the sprinkler and kangaroo-inspiring hopping.

Gunn’s performance fired her onto the global stage, leading to immense ridicule and even conspiracy theories regarding how eligibility and qualifications. It also led to further discussions about the inclusion of breaking in the Olympics.

The 37-year-old originally wanted to continue competing, but she is hurt following her experience in Paris. During an appearance on local radio station 2DayFM on Wednesday, Gunn said: “I just didn’t have any control over how people saw me or who I was.

“I was going to keep competing, for sure, but that seems really difficult for me to do now. I think the level of scrutiny that’s going to be there, and people will be filming it, and it will go online.”

With dancing experience in jazz, tap, and ballroom, Gunn’s introduction to breaking came when she was 20. She became the face of breaking in Australia – a top-ranked B-girl and an academic with a PhD in the cultural politics of the sport. Last October, Gunn beat out 14 other women to qualify for the Olympics in Sydney before bombing hard.

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Rachael Gunn failed to score a single point across three rounds in the Olympics

Rachael Gunn failed to score a single point across three rounds in the Olympics ( 

Image:

Getty Images)

The fallout has divided and disappointed the Australian breaking community, with many of her peers defending Gunn. While some admitted there are questions to be answered over her inclusion, the viral bullying has undermined any attempt to competently analyze her performance in Paris.

In the aftermath of the Games, an anonymous petition demanded Gunn apologize for her showing, accusing her and her husband – and coach – of manipulating her selection at the expense of other Australian talent. While Olympic officials then defended her selection, many believe her performance will be the lasting memory of breaking’s debut.

She may not have won, but one silver lining is that Gunn is the most famous breaking Olympian of all time. But it came at a price: the backlash took the joy out of breakdancing for her.

Gunn added: “Dancing is so much fun, and it makes you feel good. I don’t think people should feel crap about the way that they dance. I still dance, and I still break. But, you know, that’s like in my living room with my partner!”