Raygun, viral Olympic breakdancer, asks for privacy, calls criticism of her performance 'devastating'
The Australian, whose name is Rachael Gunn, lost all three of her battles and did not earn a single vote
Rachael Gunn, the Australian breakdancer who became one of the viral stars of the Paris Olympics, took to Instagram to ask for privacy following the international backlash she's received since competing.
"I'd really like to ask the press to please stop harassing my family, my friends, the Australian breaking community and the broader street dance community," Gunn said in the post. "Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this, so I ask you to please respect their privacy."
Gunn, known as B-girl Raygun in the breaking world, lost her three Olympic round-robin battles 18-0, 18-0, 18-0 and was mocked online and in the media for her performance.
Australian Olympic breakdancer Rachael Gunn has a PhD in breakdancing and dance culture. “All my moves are original,” she told reporters after her performance. pic.twitter.com/8to8quMx9y
— Michael Nayna (@MikeNayna) August 10, 2024
"While I went out there and I had fun, I did take it very seriously," Gunn said. "I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all, truly.
"I’m honored to have been a part of the Australian Olympic team and to be part of breaking’s Olympic debut. What the other athletes have achieved has just been phenomenal.”
Australian Olympic Committee condemns petition 'bullying' Raygun
An online petition was created to call for an investigation into how Gunn was selected for the Australian team for the Paris Olympics. Matt Carroll, chief executive of the AOC, released a statement saying the criticism has been 'defamatory' toward Gunn.
"It is disgraceful that these falsehoods concocted by an anonymous person can be published in this way. It amounts to bullying and harassment and is defamatory," Carroll said. "We are demanding that it be removed from the site immediately. No athlete who has represented their country at the Olympic Games should be treated in this way."
Carroll went on to say that the breaking qualifiers had been judged by a panel selected by the World DanceSport Federation, which featured "nine independent international judges." The petition claimed that Gunn's husband, Samuel Free, was involved in the judging process.
Gunn, a 36-year-old college professor with a PhD in cultural studies, said she appreciated whatever positivity she was able to provide to those who watched, but that the hate directed toward her has been "pretty devastating."
"I really appreciate the positivity, and I'm glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives. That's what I hoped," Gunn said. "I didn't realize that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has, frankly, been pretty devastating."
As of Thursday, the petition has collected nearly 57,000 signatures asking for Gunn to apologize. Carroll called for the petition to be removed.
