A petition has now been launched to hold Rachel “Raygun” Gunn ‘accountable for unethical conduct’ at the Paris Olympics.
The Australian athlete has become an internet sensation after her unusual performance at the Olympics and failing to achieve a single point for her display.
The 36-year-old appeared to give the performance her all, spinning on her head, rolling around the floor on her shoulders and throwing her arms in the air.
She had a unique style of breakdancing, with the internet having mixed feelings about her performance….with fans commenting on her “kangaroo hop” move.
Talking to Sky News, the athlete admitted:
“I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best — their power moves,”
“What I bring is creativity.”
One Olympics fan went to X to share their feelings:
“I want Raygun, the 36 year old Australian breakdancer possessed by the spirit of Julia Stiles in Save the Last Dance, to know that I am now her biggest fan and she should never stop doing whatever it is she’s trying to do,”
Another added: “Obsessed with Raygun because I identify with the level of dorkiness she projects.”
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While other viewers weren’t so impressed:
“If this Raygun lady turns out to be a comedian who somehow blagged her way through qualifiers and all the way to the Olympics, and was bad on purpose, it will be one of the greatest bits ever achieved,”
Another said: “It’s surprising that Raygun from Australia is the top breaker. The kangaroo move — how did she make it this far?! She should’ve swapped the kangaroo for a banana to really stand out. What is this? Seriously, is breakdancing really an Olympic event?”
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She has since spoken out for the first time following her internet fame, thanking her fans for their support and ‘positivity’.
The dancer said she didn’t know the level of ‘joy she brought’ in to people’s lives and she is grateful. She added:
“I wanted to start by thanking all the people who supported me. I really appreciate the positivity and was glad I was able to bring some joy in to your lives. That’s what I hoped,”
“I wanted to start by thanking all the people who supported me. I really appreciate the positivity and was glad I was able to bring some joy in to your lives. That’s what I hoped,” Raygun said.
“I didn’t realise that would also open the door to so much hate which has frankly been pretty devastating.
“I went out there and I had fun. I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off working for the Olympics. I gave my all, truly.
“Im honoured to have been a part of the Australian Olympic team and breaking Olympic debut. What the other athletes have achieved has been phenomenal.”
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She has become an internet sensation overnight but not for much longer if the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has anything to do with it.
The IOC is being strict with copyright – reporting any accounts that post or share videos from specific Olympic events.
Some Twitter users have commented that their posts and memes of the athlete have been removed due to violating he DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act).
The sporting body explained how the athlete even made it to the Olympics in the first place:
“The selection process for Australia’s breaking team heading to Paris was conducted over two days, and open to all interested participants in the Oceanic region. Adhering to World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) regulations, which align with International Olympic Committee (IOC) standards, the process aimed to ensure a fair and transparent outcome.
“A panel of nine international adjudicators, a head judge and a chairperson who oversaw the competition, using the same judging system at the Paris Games and trained to uphold the highest standards of impartiality. These judges are all highly respected in their respective communities and in the international breaking scene.
“Ultimately, Rachael Gunn and Jeff Dunne emerged as the top performers in exactly the same process, securing their spots to represent Australia in Paris. Their selection was based solely on their performance in their battles on that day. In the lead-up to Paris, Raygun used her platform as the Australian Breaking representative to consistently advocate in the media for breaking’s history, artistic and athletic values, and its cultural origins.”
“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. We stand in solidarity with Raygun.”
Raygun’s father-in-law, Andrew Free, wrote on social media:
“It was a pretty stacked competition and the judges were clearly looking for a certain style of breaking which is not Rachael’s.
“Although they are supposed to mark five different aspects with each having the same weighting, in my obviously biased opinion they did not reward originality and musicality so she was up against it.”
Now, it appears a petition was started called ‘Someone who Hates Corruption’ with the intention of calling for action against the selection process.
Addressed to Anthony Albanese, the petition stated that allowing Gunn to take part raises concern for the quality of the selection process. It reads:
“We demand a public apology from Rachel Gunn and Anna Mears for misleading the Australian public and attempting to gaslight the public and undermining the efforts of genuine athletes,”
“We also call for a full investigation into the selection process, an audit of Dr. Gunn’s business dealings, and a global public apology to the breaking community for the unethical behavior that has tainted this sport.
“Rachel Gunn’s lack of ethics and morals raises serious concerns about her fitness to teach and hold any position of authority in the sport, or university.
“Australia must do better by its athletes and ensure that the principles of fairness, transparency, and integrity are upheld in all aspects of Olympic selection.”
Gaining an impressive 23,000 signatures in only a few days, it appears the people have spoken.
