Australian breakdancer Rachael “Raygun” Gunn has spoken out against the online criticism of her recent Olympic performance.
On Thursday, Gunn responded to the immense backlash in a video posted to Instagram to address the “devastating” hate she has received.
“Hi everyone. Raygun here. I just want to start by thanking all the people who have supported me,” she began in the video. “I really appreciate the positivity, and I’m glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives, that’s what I hoped.”
“I didn’t realize that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has, frankly, been pretty devastating,” she continued.
Gunn is a researcher at Macquarie University in Sydney, studying “the cultural politics of breaking.” In 2017, she received a PhD in Cultural Studies.
Gunn represented Team Australia in breaking last week during the Paris Olympic Games. According to the official website, the Australian scored zero in all three rounds against competitors from the United States, France, and Lithuania.
On Aug. 12, a day after the close of the Olympic Games, a petition titled “Hold Raygun Rachel Gunn & Anna [Meares] Accountable for Unethical Conduct Olympic Selection” was published on change.org, garnering nearly 57,000 signatures before its removal.
The petition alleged Gunn manipulated the selection process and demanded an apology from her and Meares, head of the Australian Olympic Team, and a “full investigation” into the selection procedure.
The 36-year-old spoke briefly about the “allegations and misinformation” surrounding her qualifications and told people to refer to the statement made by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC), the Ausbreaking Instagram page, and the Word DanceSport Federation (WDSF) Breaking for Gold page.
Gunn said in Thursday’s video that while she “had fun,” she took the competition “very seriously.”
“I worked my butt off, preparing for the Olympics, and I gave my all, truly,” she said. “I’m honored to have been a part of the Australian Olympic Team and to be part of breaking’s Olympic debut.”
The Olympian announced that she would be in Europe for a few weeks and delivered a final message to the press.
“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,” she said. “Everyone has been through a lot, as a result of this, so I ask you to please respect their privacy.
“I’ll be happy to answer more questions on my return to Australia, thanks everyone,” she concluded.
Following the severe backlash toward Gunn, organizations have come to the breakdancer’s defense.
On Thursday, AOC Chief Executive Officer Matt Carroll stated that Gunn was selected for the Australian team “through a transparent and independent qualification event and nomination process.”
“No athlete who has represented their country at the Olympic Games should be treated in this way and we are supporting Dr Gunn and Anna Meares at this time,” Carroll said.
On Tuesday, Australian breaking organization AUSBreak pushed back against claims that Gunn interfered with the selection process in a statement on its website, saying “the process aimed to ensure a fair and transparent outcome.”
“We condemn the global online harassment and bullying of Raygun. The pressure to perform on the Olympic stage is immense, especially against the opponents in her particular group.”