Australian competitive athlete Rachael Gunn has announced her retirement from competition, citing the viral reaction to her performance at the Paris Olympics.

Gunn – who goes by B-Girl Raygun – failed to get on the scoreboard in all three of her competition rounds in August, with a routine that included unorthodox moves like the sprinkler and a kangaroo hop.

The 37-year-old university lecturer's actions catapulted her into the global spotlight and ridicule, sparked conspiracy theories about her qualifications and renewed criticism of Breaking's participation in the Olympics.

Gunn had originally planned to continue competing, but said the saga was so “exciting” that she changed her mind.

“I just had no control over how people saw me or who I was,” she told local radio station 2DayFM on Wednesday.

“I definitely wanted to keep competing, but that seems really difficult now.”

“I think the level of control will be there, and people will film it and it will go online.”

Gunn received a barrage of violent messages after the Olympics and was the subject of an anonymous petition asking her to apologize. She and her husband were falsely accused of manipulating their selection at the expense of other Australian talent.

She was vigorously defended by Olympic officials, but her performance divided opinion within the breaking community, with some saying she made a mockery of the sport.

Questions have also been raised about whether Breaking – which debuted in Paris but is not on the program for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles – should ever be included in the Olympics due to the creative nature of the genre, which doesn't necessarily fit organized competition.

Gunn previously said the backlash took away her joy from the sport, which she alluded to again on Wednesday.

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

“I still dance and I still dance. But it’s like being in my living room with my partner!”