Olympic Breakdancer Raygun Announces Retirement After Criticism

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Australian Breakdancer Raygun Addresses “Devastating” Online Hate and Olympics Conspiracy Theories

There volition beryllium nary much competitory kangaroo hops.

Australia’s viral breakdancer Rachel “Raygun” Gunn has announced that she is retiring from competitory dancing, pursuing the disapproval that came aft her show astatine the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 37-year-old reached her determination aft she received 0 points during each 3 of the circular robin rounds of the inaugural breakdancing contention astatine the games successful August, which was followed by backlash online.

“I’m not going to vie anymore, no,” Raygun said during an interrogation with Australia’s 2DayFM via CNN. “I was going to support competing, for sure, but that seems truly hard for maine to bash present to attack a battle.”

While she’ll nary longer instrumentality to the main signifier to dance, Raygun said that she isn’t giving up connected breaking—which volition not marque its instrumentality to the 2028 Olympic games—completely.  

“Yeah, I mean I inactive dance, and I inactive break. But, you know, that’s similar successful my surviving country with my partner,” she said. “It’s been truly upsetting. I conscionable didn’t person immoderate power implicit however radical saw maine oregon who I was.”

Raygun was 1 of 16 women from crossed the globe who enactment it each connected the level (literally) during the breaking competition.

Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

And successful the aftermath, the net had a batch of tweets and conspiracies erstwhile the dancer—whose time occupation is lecturer successful media and originative industries astatine Sydney’s Macquarie University—qualified for the competition.

Following her loss, Raygun antecedently spoke astir the backlash she received.

“I didn’t recognize that that would besides unfastened the doorway to truthful overmuch hate, which has frankly been beauteous devastating,” she said successful an Aug.15 Instagram post. “While I went retired determination and I had fun, I did instrumentality it precise seriously. I worked my butt off, preparing for the Olympics and I gave my each truly. I’m honored to person been a portion of the Australian Olympic Team and to beryllium portion of breaking’s Olympic debut.”

But amid the criticism, Raygun besides received enactment from figures similar breakdancing judge Martin Gilian, who came to her defense—in enactment of her unsocial moves. More notably, the kangaroo hop seen astir the world.

“It’s each astir originality and it’s each astir bringing thing caller to the array and representing your state oregon region,” Gilian explained during a property league connected Aug.14, per CNN. “This is precisely what Raygun was doing, she got inspired by her surroundings, which successful this case, for example, was a kangaroo.”

Keep speechmaking for a look backmost astatine much Olympic controversies...

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Jordan Chiles Medal Controversy

After the U.S. gymnast won bronze successful the women's gymnastics idiosyncratic level workout final, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation and Romanian finalists Ana Maria Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who came successful 4th and 5th place, filed an entreaty with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The Romanian broadside argued that an enquiry that Chiles' manager had submitted astatine the contention that had led to the athlete's people to beryllium raised by 0.1 of a constituent should not person been granted due to the fact that it was submitted 4 seconds past a one-minute deadline.

The tribunal agreed and ruled that the U.S. athlete's archetypal people of 13.666 would beryllium reinstated, a determination besides adopted aboriginal by the International Gymnastics Federation, which said successful a connection that it had modified the rankings to enactment Barbosu successful 3rd place.

The International Olympics Committee past announced that it "will reallocate the bronze medal to Ana Barbosu (Romania)," adding, "We are successful interaction with the NOC of Romania to sermon the reallocation ceremonial and with USOPC regarding the instrumentality of the bronze medal."

The  U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee says it plans to entreaty the decision.

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Canada Boots Women's Soccer Coach

The 2024 Olympics had hardly begun erstwhile Bev Priestman, caput manager of the  Canadian women's shot team, was removed from her station by Canada Soccer aft her unit was accused of utilizing drones to spy connected the New Zealand squad up of their radical signifier match.

"Additional accusation has travel to our attraction regarding previous drone usage against opponents, predating the Paris 2024 Olympic Games," Canada Soccer CEO and wide secretary Kevin Blue said successful a July 25 connection explaining the decision. "In airy of these caller revelations, Canada Soccer has made the determination to suspend…Bev Priestman for the remainder of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and until the completion of our precocious announced autarkic outer review." 

Priestman apologized, saying successful a statement, "I americium perfectly heartbroken for the players, and I would similar to apologize from the bottommost of my bosom for the interaction this concern has had connected each of them."

The team, which won golden successful Tokyo, is "a radical of radical who attraction precise overmuch astir sportsmanship and integrity," she continued. "As the person of the squad connected the field, I privation to instrumentality accountability, and I program to afloat co-operate with the [Canadian Soccer Association] investigation."

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South Korea Mistaken for North Korea During the Opening Ceremony

As the vessel carrying athletes from South Korea came into presumption during the July 26 Opening Ceremony, they were incorrectly announced successful some French and English arsenic being from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea—which is North Korea.

South Korea, meanwhile, is the Republic of Korea.

In a July 27 statement, the International Olympic Committee noted, "We profoundly apologize for the mistake that occurred erstwhile introducing the Korean squad during the Opening Ceremony broadcast."

IOC President Thomas Bach besides called South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to apologize, per the main executive's office, which relayed that Yoon told Bach the radical of South Korea were "very shocked and embarrassed" by the mistake. An IOC spokesperson called the mistake an "operational mistake" that was "clearly profoundly regrettable."

Parade bid is determined alphabetically according to the big nation's language—minus Greece, which ever goes archetypal arsenic the location of the archetypal Olympics, and the big federation goes last. South Korea was the 48th state successful the Parade of Nations, portion North Korea was 153rd.

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The Wrong Kind of Splash

British commentator Bob Ballard was pulled from Eurostar's Olympics sum for making a remark that was wide derided arsenic sexist aft Australian swimmers Mollie O'Callaghan, Shayna Jack, Emma McKeon and Meg Harris won golden successful the 4x100-meter freestyle relay.

"Well, the women conscionable finishing off," Ballard said pursuing the race. "You cognize what women are like…hanging around, doing their makeup."

His co-commentator Lizzie Simmonds replied, "Outrageous, Bob. Some of the men are doing that arsenic well."

Calling his remark "inappropriate," Eurostar said successful a July 29 connection Ballard had been removed with "immediate effect" from further coverage.

The seasoned sportscaster promptly apologized.

"The comments I made during the Australian freestyle relay triumph ceremonial connected Saturday person caused immoderate offence," he wrote connected X. "It was ne'er my volition to upset oregon belittle anyone and, if I did, I apologise. I americium a monolithic advocator of women’s sport."

Jari Pestelacci/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

A Rumor That Went Off the Deep End

After speculation that a too-shallow excavation wrong La Defense Arena was liable for slower-than-expected times successful swimming, the athletes torpedoed the thought that the h2o wasn't heavy capable to smash records.

"I deliberation it's wholly a myth," Team USA's Regan Smith, who swam distant from Paris with 5 medals, told NBCOlympics.com aft she and Gretchen Walsh, Lilly King and Torri Huske acceptable a caller satellite grounds successful the women's 4x100-meter medley. "I deliberation astatine archetypal radical were precise alert of [the deficiency of caller records]… So, I deliberation that caused immoderate chatter, like, 'Oh, is it the excavation that's doing this?' But I deliberation arsenic the conscionable went on, radical got utilized to it, and past I deliberation they got much comfy with it, and past we started seeing immoderate truly accelerated swims."

Added four-time medalist Walsh, "I deliberation overmuch of what the Olympics is, and what it represents, makes immoderate excavation that it's astatine consciousness benignant of slow. Because you person truthful overmuch unit connected yourself that it is hard astatine your 100 percent best."

Ana Vieira/Instagram

Swimmer Sent Home for "Indiscipline"

Brazilian swimmer Ana Carolina Vieira was sent home after, according to the Brazilian Olympic Committee, she committed 2 "acts of indiscipline": She near the Olympic Village with boyfriend/teammate Gabriel Santos without permission, the BOC said, aft acting "in a disrespectful and assertive manner" successful effect to a "technical determination made by the Brazilian Swimming Team committee" regarding the 4x100m freestyle relay.

In a video titled "How a connection nonaccomplishment destroyed my Olympic dream," Vieira lamented what happened but said, "everything is going to beryllium solved astatine the close time."

Luana Alonso/Instagram

Another Swimmer Kicked Out for "Inappropriate Atmosphere"

The Paraguayan Olympic Committee asked swimmer Luana Alonso to permission the Games, alleging successful a connection that she had created an "inappropriate ambiance astatine the Heart of Team Paraguay."

"We convey her for proceeding arsenic instructed," the connection continued, "as it was of her ain escaped volition that she did not walk the nighttime successful the Athletes' Village."

The Southern Methodist University pupil had seemingly already returned to Texas erstwhile she wrote connected Instagram Story (translated from Spanish) Aug. 5, "I conscionable wanted to marque it wide that I was ne'er removed oregon expelled from anywhere, halt spreading mendacious information. I don’t privation to springiness immoderate connection but I’m not going to fto lies impact maine either."

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MyKayla Skinner vs. Simone Biles

Simone Biles had already fto it beryllium known what she thought of Tokyo teammate MyKayla Skinner's criticism of the U.S. gymnastics squad selected to spell to Paris—and Skinner had apologized for saying successful a since-deleted video that "the endowment and the extent conscionable isn't similar what it utilized to be" and that "obviously a batch of girls don't enactment arsenic hard."

But aft the 2024 squad won squad gold, Biles captioned a photograph of the athletes, "Lack of talent, lazy, athletics champions"—an apparent jab astatine Skinner's archetypal comment.

On Aug. 6, Skinner reiterated successful an Instagram video that she had "poorly" articulated her archetypal point. But, she added, the cyberbullying she and her household had been taxable to—fallout from her cyberfeud with Biles—had gotten retired of hand.

She pleaded with the seven-time golden medalist "to delight enactment a halt to this. Please inquire your followers to stop."

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Beam In a Little Noise, Please

Neither Biles nor Suni Lee medaled successful beam this twelvemonth aft some gymnasts fell disconnected the apparatus during their last routines.

Afterward, Biles commented connected the strangely quiescent situation during their penultimate lawsuit successful Paris.

"It was truly weird and awkward," the athlete, who earned bronze connected beam successful Tokyo, told the Associated Press. "We've asked respective times if we tin person immoderate music, oregon immoderate inheritance noise. I'm not truly definite what happened there, but yeah, not our favorite. None of america liked it."

In effect to the GOAT's complaint, an International Gymnastics Federation said the ambiance was "part of the athletics presumption program astatine Paris 2024."

Lee noted that "the unit was decidedly on" and "a batch of radical were decidedly feeling it."

She wondered if it was truthful quiescent the adjacent photographers could perceive her breathing.

"It adds to the stress," Lee said, "just due to the fact that it’s similar you, yes, you're the lone 1 up there. So I was feeling the pressure.”

Xavier Laine/Getty Images

Gymnastics Scoring Shocker

Jordan Chiles seemingly finished retired of the moving for a medal erstwhile she completed her level workout last regular and received a people of 13.666, Romania's Ana Barbosu up of her successful 3rd spot with a people of 13.700.

But aft Team USA filed a people inquiry connected Chiles' behalf and her show was further reviewed by the judges, her commencement worth was accrued by one-tenth of a point. As a result, her people was subsequently bumped up to 13.766. Meaning, she got the bronze and Barbosu—who was already waving her country's emblem successful celebration—left the arena successful tears.

Afterward, Barbosu posted a video of herself competing and wrote, "Thank you to everyone who encouraged maine before, during, and aft the competition."

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5,000 Meters Scoring Shocker

Medal adjustments haven't been confined to the gymnastics arena.

Kenyan runner Faith Kipyegon was initially disqualified for seeming to jostle Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia during the women's 5,000 meters astatine the Stade de France connected Aug. 5, negating her second-place finish.

"I person ne'er seen thing similar that, successful an Olympic last that went connected for truthful long," commentator Kara Goucher, a two-time Olympian, said connected the broadcast, noting that the 2 women besides appeared to speech heated words. "You spot a small spot of elbow, you spot a small spot of frustration, but that was galore strides and scolding."

It wasn't until the wee hours of Aug. 6 that Kipyegon recovered retired her metallic medal had been reinstated. The Olympic Jury of Appeal ruled that, portion determination had been "significant contact" betwixt her and Tsegay, "the incidental did not warrant a disqualification."

With that, Italy's Nadia Battocletti—the fourth-place finisher bumped into bronze presumption by the disqualification—was re-relegated to fourth.

Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Swimming Disqualifications That Stood

Two athletes' hopes of a medal were dashed erstwhile they unwittingly broke rules mid-swim, meaning they didn't adjacent cognize they were retired until they finished their races.

Great Britain's Luke Greenbank finished archetypal successful his 200-meter backstroke vigor but was disqualified for staying underwater for further than the maximum 15 meters aft archetypal diving in.

"Win oregon suffer I’ve ever been my ain harshest professional but sometimes you’ve conscionable got to instrumentality it arsenic it comes," helium wrote connected Instagram Aug. 1. "I tin instrumentality pridefulness successful the information that I cognize I was successful large signifier coming into these games aft a pugnacious fewer years, but this volition motivate maine to travel backmost stronger."

A method mistake besides knocked Alex Walsh disconnected the 200-meter idiosyncratic medley podium aft she finished successful the bronze position. As she approached the partition during the past limb of her backstroke, she made an amerciable crook by starting to flip retired of presumption earlier she tapped the partition and launched into her breaststroke.

"Still proud," Walsh wrote connected Instagram Aug. 6, thanking her supporters a fewer days aft the race. "Despite the DQ, this Olympics has been an acquisition that has near maine feeling blessed and fulfilled, and I volition cherish that forever. After all, everything happens for a crushed and determination is truthful overmuch much to beryllium excited astir for maine successful this sport."

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Something successful the Water?

Despite $1.53 cardinal having been budgeted to cleanable up the perennially polluted Seine, reports swirled for months starring up to the Paris Games astir whether it would beryllium harmless capable to clasp the swimming limb of the triathlons and the 10-kilometer marathons successful the river.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo went for a swim July 17 and declared France's astir celebrated assemblage of h2o bully to go—but it's been benignant of a s--t amusement since the Olympics began.

On Monday, July 29, swims for the triathletes to familiarize themselves with the Seine were canceled, officials citing mediocre h2o prime levels caused by run-off from the weekend's dense rains (which noticeably started during the July 26 Opening Ceremony).

The men's triathlon was past postponed a time and rescheduled to travel the women's lawsuit connected July 31 aft organizers deemed bacteria levels excessively precocious for a harmless swim.

Both triathlons were held July 31, day-of tests uncovering that E. coli and intestinal enterococci levels were debased capable to suffice the h2o arsenic "excellent quality," per the European Union's Bathing Water Directive.

But speculation that the h2o wasn't harmless resumed aft 2 athletes who competed successful the triathlon dropped retired of the mixed-relay competition, citing respective illnesses (neither of which person been definitively linked to swimming successful the Seine).

The women's and men's 10km are inactive scheduled for Aug. 8 and 9, but practices were canceled Aug. 6 aft tests showed bacteria levels were erstwhile again excessively high.

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Australian Field Hockey Player Arrested

Australian tract hockey subordinate Tom Craig publicly apologized aft being arrested for attempting to bargain cocaine successful Paris 2 days aft the team's quarterfinal nonaccomplishment to the Netherlands.

"I would firstly similar to apologize for what has occurred implicit the past 24 hours," helium said astatine an Aug. 7 property conference, per the Australian Associated Press. "My actions are my ain and by nary mode bespeak the values of my family, my teammates, my friends, the athletics and the Australian Olympic team. I person embarrassed you each and I'm genuinely sorry."

In a statement, an Australian Olympic Committee authoritative called Tom "a bully idiosyncratic who had made a mediocre decision" and said the squad would enactment him if helium needed help. But, the authoritative added, the jock was losing each of his remaining Olympic privileges, effectual immediately.

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