Paris Olympics: petition about breakdancer Raygun removed, she tells of ‘devastating’ hate
- The Australian says ‘I gave my all’ for the Olympics but did not realise it would ‘open the door to so much hate’ and asks for privacy
Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn says the backlash she has received since she competed at the Paris Olympics has been devastating, and pleaded for privacy for her family and friends.
“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 in a video from a Brussels street posted on her Instagram account on Thursday.
“I did not realise that that would also open the door to so much hate – which has, frankly, been pretty devastating.”
Gunn, a 36-year-old Sydney university lecturer who competes as B-Girl Raygun, was lambasted online and in mainstream media after she lost all three of her round-robin battles in Paris, where breaking made its Olympic debut.
Her kangaroo-mimicking moves and Australia-logoed tracksuit have been parodied worldwide, including by late-night US television host Jimmy Fallon.
“Well, I went out there and I had fun – I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all. Truly,” Gunn said.
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) earlier on Thursday condemned an online petition calling for an investigation into Gunn’s selection for the Paris Olympics, saying it contained falsehoods aimed at inciting hatred against her.
AOC chief executive Matt Carroll said the petition had “stirred up public hatred without any factual basis”, adding that it was “vexatious, misleading and bullying”.
