Australian breakdancer Raygun, who received constant criticism for his performance at the Paris Olympics, said he quit the competition.

Raygun, whose real name is Rachael Gunn, said on Australian radio earlier this week that she did not want to endure the criticism that would come with future performances possibly being recorded and posted online.

“It won’t mean the same thing,” he said. “It won’t be the same experience because of all the dangers.”

break Introduced as an Olympic sport throughout the summer. Gunn failed to score any points during the contest in Paris, losing 18-0 in each of the three rounds of action.

Reactions to Gunn’s performance ranged from declarations that her moves were eccentric, given that her dancing style had its roots in New York’s early hip-hop scene, to questions about her place in the sport as a white woman in academia. His routine was turned into memes and parodied on late-night television.

“It’s surreal and still impossible to process,” he said.

Speaking on Australia’s 2DayFM The Jimmy and Nath ShowGunn ruled out the possibility of a future Olympic performance. Nathan Roye, one of the presenters of the program, asked: “Would you participate in the Olympics again in four years?” he asked. Gunn immediately said no.

She added: “It was really sad because I felt like I had no control over how people saw me or who I was, who my partner was, my story.”

Although braking is not part of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Gunn said before the backlash that he plans to continue competing after the Paris Olympics are over.

“Approaching a war seems like a really difficult thing for me right now,” he said. “So I’m still dancing and I’m still breaking, but it’s like in my living room with my partner.”

Gunn said he relied on memes and positive messages from fans to offset the negativity.

Despite not winning a medal in Paris, Gunn has represented Australia at the World Championships three times and won the Oceania Breaking Championships last year.

He said he is working on other projects that “encourage people to dance, have fun, be creative and be themselves.”

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