Pilloried breakdancer Raygun says online hate has been devastating

MELBOURNE: Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn said 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, who is known as B-girl Raygun, said in an Instagram post on Thursday.

“I didn’t realise that that would also open the door to so much hate which has, frankly, been pretty devastating.” Gunn 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.

“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”. Carroll’s statement also said the 36-year-old Gunn had been “selected through a transparent and independent qualification event and nomination process”.

Gunn asked 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.”

“The petition has stirred up public hatred without any factual basis,” he said. “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.”

The AOC has written to change.org demanding it take down the petition immediately, Carroll added. Carroll also said that Gunn was selected through a transparent and independent qualification event and nomination process.

“The AOC is particularly offended by the affront to our Chef de Mission, Anna Meares,” he added. “(She) played no role in the qualification events nor the nomination of athletes to the AOC Selection Committee, of which the Chef and I are members.”

She said she would take a few weeks of previously planned holiday in Europe and would answer any more questions on her return to Australia. The change.org petition calling for Gunn to apologise has collected more than 54,000 signatures. The AOC have written to the organisation asking for it to be removed.