Australia’s Raygun responds to trolling after Paris Olympics: ‘(Getting) so much hate was pretty devastating’ | Sport-others News
Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn, aka Raygun, said the backlash following her Paris Olympics performance was devastating.
Requesting privacy for her friends and family on an Instagram post on Thursday, B-girl Raygun said: “I really appreciate the positivity, and I’m glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives. That’s what I hoped.”
With breaking making its Olympic debut at the Paris Games, Gunn came under the spotlight after her performances went viral on social media following a ‘Kangaroo’ move during one of the rounds.
The 36-year-old Raygun, a university professor from Sydney, did not receive any points during the three round-robin battles in the competition.
“I didn’t realise that that would also open the door to so much hate which has, frankly, been pretty devastating.
“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.
Earlier on Thursday, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) had condemned an online petition demanding investigation into Gunn’s selection for the Paris Olympics. AOC chief executive Matt Carroll said the petition had “stirred up public hatred without any factual basis”.
Carroll also stated that Gunn had been “selected through a transparent and independent qualification event and nomination process”.
A change.org online petition that demanded Gunn’s apology had collected more than 50,000 signatures before an intervention from AOC struck it down from the website on Friday.
Meanwhile, Gunn requested for privacy, saying: “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. Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this, so I ask you to please respect their privacy.”
Breaking will not be a part of the sports programme for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
