Australian breaker Rachael Gunn has said the backlash to her much-ridiculed Olympic breaking performance was “devastating”, stressing that she took the competition seriously and gave it her best effort.
The 36-year-old known as Raygun said in a video posted on Instagram on Thursday that she was not prepared for the level of negative attention she had received since judges awarded her zero points in her Olympic debut.
“I didn’t realise that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has, frankly, been pretty devastating,” Gunn said. “But 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.”
The sport of breaking made its Olympic debut in Paris, and one of its most viral images was the performance of Gunn, a university professor from Sydney – who did a “kangaroo dance” among other moves during her routine – and did not receive a single point from any of the nine judges in either round.
Gunn was subsequently mocked for her efforts, including a parody on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in the United States.
In the video, she said she was subjected to abuse that went beyond criticism of her dance moves.
“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.”
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”.
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