SYDNEY (AP) — Australian breaker Rachael Gunn tells a Sydney radio station she plans to retire from competition just three months after her unconventional routine at the Paris Olympics led to her being ridiculed and spawned conspiracy theories about how she qualified for the Games.
The Sydney University professor, now 37, failed to make the scoreboard in her three competitive events in August, with a routine that included unorthodox moves such than kangaroo jumping.
Gunn had initially planned to continue competing, but said the experience was so “upsetting” that she changed her mind.
“I just had no control over how people saw me or who I was,” she told radio station 2DayFM. “I was going to continue to compete, for sure, but it seems really hard to do now. I think the level of scrutiny will be there, and people will film it, and it will be posted online.
To break up was to be participated in the Olympic Games for the first time. And it could be a unique event, not included in the Olympic program for Los Angeles in 2028 or Brisbane, Australia, in 2032.
“Raygun”, as it was called, was later ridiculed on social mediawith some messages also questioning the Olympic qualification process.
In a television interview for The Project on Australia’s Channel 10 in September, she said chased by cameras in the streets of Paris and how she handled the audience’s reaction to her performance.
“It was really wild,” she said. “If people chase me, what should I do? This really put me in a state of panic. I was nervous about being in public. It was pretty scary for a while.
She apologized for the uproar, but again defended her performance and said she was grateful for the support of others in the sport.
She had previously defended how she qualified for Parisand reiterated it in the television program.
“I won the Oceania championships. It was a direct qualifier,” Gunn said. “There were nine judges, all from abroad. I knew my chances were slim as soon as I qualified for the Olympics.
“People didn’t understand the break and were just angry at my performance,” she added. “The conspiracy theories were just horrible and it was really upsetting. People are now attacking our reputation and integrity – none of which are based on fact. »
Gunn’s performance was mocked online and on television, including in a skit on Jimmy Fallon’s late night TV show.
In her Sydney radio interview on Wednesday, Gunn said she wouldn’t stop breaking up completely.
“I still dance and I still break.” she said. “But it’s like in my living room with my partner.”
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AP Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
