Raygun retires from breaking after 'upsetting' Olympic backlash

Honestly, I chuckled when I saw her break in the Olympics, but it was just that - a chuckle.

The amount of hate and vicious ridicule that people started posting online was a big mood kill and wasn't necessary for something so trivial.

The world seems to have forgotten how to laugh and not be so damn vindictive about everything.

I chuckled too but seems the Olympics is not where people go for comedy skit

Bye bye Raygun and thanks. You served as an in-your-face example of the absurdities and disconnect of the academic/activist (why not throw athlete in there for a laugh) class. You truly showcased to the world that skills ARE a social construct , then pulled the victim card under the limelight ( you sought ) and got called out for it big time. Nothing to do with class, sexism, misogyny , patriarchy nor any other magic spells you thought you could pull out of your hat. Your performance did the trick for itself.

So Arigato gozaimashita. Enjoy your retirement, write a book or something, I’m sure you will be missed by your beloved ‘breakdance’ community. You woke Australia right up mate! Tops!

Raygun is the perfect example of today’s culture of hollow performance over substance. The world of academia, where she comes from, loves to prop up people like her, claiming it’s all about “individual expression.” But let’s face it - Raygun’s "breakdancing" was more about attention than real talent or dedication. Real dancers put in years of hard work, refining their craft, showing respect for tradition, and building true skill. Raygun? She’s more interested in going viral than mastering her art.

It’s no surprise her Far Left echo chamber celebrates her “accomplishments.” They’re obsessed with style over substance, thinking that passion without skill is enough.

What an embarrassment to my country.

She made a complete mockery and farce of the art on the global stage. The face she kept making during the competition too...total taking the piss face if there ever was one.

I feel sorry those in Australia who can actually break but didn't get the opportunity to represent their country in proper, respectful manner.

No loss here people.

Oh how will the “sport” of breakdancing ever survive without its originator and innovator? We can’t continue!

People are cruel. All the bullying was not necessary. She did her best, maybe not the best for the standards of so many but she's done nothing wrong and she was just following her dreams. She doesn't deserve to be humiliated like that and now her dreams were crushed. I wonder if people will ridicule athletes who didn't do well in other sports the same way as what they've done to her? Blame the Olympics committee for not choosing the most eligible athletes to compete in their events. Only if they've done their jobs properly, this woman would still be pursuing her dreams now.

The amount of hate and vicious ridicule that people started posting online was a big mood kill and wasn't necessary for something so trivial.

The world seems to have forgotten how to laugh and not be so damn vindictive about everything.

I went back and forth on this to try and understand why this woman would embarrass herself (and country) so badly on the world stage.

Did she honestly NOT know how bad she was in what is quite frankly, a teenager's pastime?

Was it all a joke to draw attention to the ridiculousness of including the "sport" in the Olympics?

Then I saw her enjoying the notoriety of it all and trying to make a "brand" for herself, even if it was the result of lost dignity. And I think thats what most people see.

@Jay

Raygun is the perfect example of today’s culture of hollow performance over substance. The world of academia, where she comes from, loves to prop up people like her, claiming it’s all about “individual expression.” But let’s face it - Raygun’s "breakdancing" was more about attention than real talent or dedication. Real dancers put in years of hard work, refining their craft, showing respect for tradition, and building true skill. Raygun? She’s more interested in going viral than mastering her art.

This is ridiculous. Olympics has a selection process, meaning someone is responsible of selecting who can compete and cannot. She was selected and performed, yes it wasn't great but I don't think she's done this for her self promotion. She was included in the team and she's gotta do what she's gotta do. Will you say the same thing to swimmers who performed poorly and lost? Blame the coach and Olympics committee for including her to the team.

a person’s gotta know their limits.

Enjoyed her nice little Aussie taxpayer funded Euro vacation...now get out of the spotlight...she's smarter than you think.

Well thanks to her, we wont be seeing breakdancing in the Olympics again.

...after cheating to gain a spot over a clearly better dancer. Not simple a better dancer...but someone who could actually dance

Well thanks to her, we wont be seeing breakdancing in the Olympics again.

Good. Should never have been there.

Hard to believe anyone would still be breakdancing into their 30s anyway.

Well thanks to her, we wont be seeing breakdancing in the Olympics again.

Yes, for at least twenty years I'd imagine. After Raygun, its hard to make a case that its an athletic activity people should take seriously. Someone doing bunny hops like kids tv upstaged pretty much everything every other competitor did. This included very athletic and very earnest Japanese competitors. They are big losers here.

Skateboarding featured much older competitors who, while still vastly inferior to the winners, managed to do their routines without embarrassing the sport. I am not up with the minutae of Australian breakdancing, but it is amateur hour for any qualifier to be judged by a competitor's spouse. All kinds of alarm bells should have been ringing.

"I'm not going to compete any more,"

You never were competing to begin with.

Great News. Now give the attention to B girl Ami.

Similar to snowboarding in the early days,The Olympics wasn't core,and events were controlled by FIS,the ski federation,so the top snowboarders rebelled.

Eventually,things will resolve themselves,and we won't have to experience such an embarrassment of a performance.

It was just a bit of fun, unlike having males punch females, and similar things.

People have really changed.

Eddie the Eagle

Eric Moussambani aka Eric the eel.

They both were treated much better than Raygun.

Enjoyed her nice little Aussie taxpayer funded Euro vacation...now get out of the spotlight...she's smarter than you think.

She maybe a terrible break dancer but she has a kickass acadamic background.

Rachael Louise Gunn (born 2 September 1987), known competitively as Raygun, is an Australian academic and retired competitive breakdancer. In September 2024, she became ranked as the world number 1, by the World DanceSport Federation.[1] She is a lecturer in the Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language, and Literature at Macquarie University Faculty of Arts.

Gunn attended Barker College[6] before enrolling at Macquarie University, where she completed a bachelor's degree in contemporary music in 2009 and a PhD in cultural studies in 2017.

FYI:

Macquarie University has risen to 178 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025, retaining its position within the top 10 universities in Australia.

yoshisan88,

People have really changed. ...

Totally. The occasional lovable loser used to really light up the Olympics. As did RayGun. Now people take themselves way too seriously.

Totally. The occasional lovable loser used to really light up the Olympics. As did RayGun. Now people take themselves way too seriously.

Yep. Ski jumper Eddie The Eagle and the Jamaican bobsled team come to mind.

Yep. Ski jumper Eddie The Eagle and the Jamaican bobsled team come to mind.

I was a big fan of Pita Taufatofua, the oiled-up Tongan canoe / taekwondo / cross-country ski athlete.

Totally. The occasional lovable loser used to really light up the Olympics. As did RayGun. Now people take themselves way too seriously.

Eddie the Eagle and the Jamaican bobsled team were in actual sports. And rules changed to require a bare minimum of ability as a result.

This raygun person is a ridiculous person in a ridiculous non sport that should have never seen the light of day.

This raygun person is a ridiculous person in a ridiculous non sport that should have never seen the light of day.

I agree that it was a stretch to say that breakdancing is an Olympic sport. However, this go around it was included, Raygun competed, and a bunch of people had a good laugh about it. Sadly, other people need to be offended by everything.