Last update:Nov 07, 2024, 09:12 IST

Gunn said the intense scrutiny had been “really disturbing” and that he had decided to pull the plug on his breakdancing career.

Australia’s Raygun at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (AP)

Australian breakdancer Rachael “Raygun” Gunn has announced her retirement from competition, citing a “really disturbing” reaction following her performance at the Paris Olympics.

Raygun, 37, became something of a global laughing stock after her unorthodox routine, which included kangaroo jumps and imitating a sprinkler, failed to impress Games judges.

His moves were copied on late-night talk shows and his unfashionable green tracksuit was mercilessly parodied online.

Conspiracy theories abounded to explain how the university professor had even made it to the Australian Olympic team.

Gunn said the intense scrutiny had been “really disturbing” and that he had decided to pull the plug on his breakdancing career.

“I’m not going to compete anymore,” he told Australian radio station 2DayFM on Wednesday.

“I was probably going to continue competing, but now it seems like a very difficult thing to do.

“The level of scrutiny that there will be. “People will film it, it will be posted online, but it won’t be the same experience.”

Gunn had previously spoken out against the “pretty devastating” hate unleashed on her after the Olympics.

“I went out and had fun. I took it very seriously. “I worked hard preparing for the Olympics and I gave it my all,” he said in a video message after the Games.

While many lampooned his performance on social media, Gunn garnered support from others, including his fellow Australian Olympians and even the country’s prime minister.

Raygun said he would continue dancing, but not in competition.

“I mean, I still dance and I still break down. But, you know, that’s like in my living room with my partner,” she said.

“Dancing is very fun and makes you feel good. I don’t think people should feel bad about the way they dance.

“If you go out and have fun on the dance floor, then make it yours.”

Raygun had her last laugh in September when she was briefly elevated to the top of the World Dance Sports Federation (WDSF) rankings.

The WDSF named her the number one female breakdancer after winning the Oceania Championships, one of the few events held that counted towards qualification in the run-up to the Olympics.

The sport of breaking made its Olympic debut in Paris, but will not appear at the next Los Angeles Games in 2028.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed. AFP)