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Associated Press

Agence France-Presse

Reuters

The Australian Olympic Committee has criticised an anonymous online petition attacking controversial Paris Games breaking competitor Rachael Gunn, saying the petition was “vexatious, misleading and bullying”.
Last weekend, the sport of breaking made its Olympic debut. One of the lasting images was the performance of an Australian B-Girl known as Raygun – 36-year-old Sydney university professor Gunn – who scored zero points.
Gunn’s kangaroo-mimicking moves and slightly passe green Australia-logoed tracksuit have even been parodied worldwide, including by late-night US television host Jimmy Fallon.
But she has also won the backing of fellow Australian Olympians, including double gold-winning canoeist Jess Fox.


“People are so quick to be awful. She doesn’t deserve that,” Fox said on returning to Australia Wednesday.
Gunn, who has not yet returned to Australia following the Games, received strong support from Australian team chef de mission Anna Meares while still in Paris. On Thursday, the AOC went a major step further, refuting numerous erroneous stories it said have appeared online since.
Chief executive officer Matt Carroll said the AOC had written to change.org, which had published a petition criticising Gunn and the AOC, demanding that it be immediately withdrawn.
The petition, which calls for an apology from Gunn as well as Meares, had more than 45,000 signatures by Thursday morning.
Carroll says the petition “contained numerous falsehoods designed to engender hatred against an athlete who was selected in the Australian Olympic team through a transparent and independent qualification event and nomination process”.
“It is disgraceful that these falsehoods concocted by an anonymous person can be published in this way,” Carroll said.

“It amounts to bullying and harassment and is defamatory. We are demanding that it be removed from the site immediately. 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.”
Online criticism this past week has included suggestions that the Oceania qualifying event held in Sydney last October was set up to favour Gunn, and questioned the judging that allowed Gunn to qualify.
Carroll said Gunn was selected through a transparent and independent qualification event and nomination process.
The AOC said on Thursday the Oceania qualifying event was conducted under the Olympic qualification system determined by the international governing body, World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), and approved by the International Olympic Committee.
It said the judging panel for the event was selected by the WDSF and consisted of nine independent international judges.












View this post on Instagram























A post shared by Rachael Gunn (@raygun_aus)



Unattributed social media comments also suggested Gunn and her husband, fellow breaker Samuel Free, had held positions within Australian breaking organisations.
“Rachael Gunn holds no position with AUSBreaking or DanceSport Australia in any capacity,” the AOC said on Thursday. “She is simply an athlete who competed in the qualifying event, which she won.”
Carroll added: “The AOC is particularly offended by the affront to our Chef de Mission, Anna Meares. (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.”
Breaking at the Olympics might be a one-and-done in Paris. It is not on the competition list for the next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028, and is also unlikely to appear in 2032 at Brisbane, Australia.


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Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Paris Olympics: Australian Olympic body slams criticism of controversial breaker ‘Raygun’

Controversial Australian breaking athlete Rachael Gunn, also known as Raygun, has not yet returned to her country after the Paris Olympics. Photo: Reuters

AOC boss Matt Carroll says the anonymous “falsehoods” amounts to bullying, and is defamatory. Photo: AFP

Breaking community defends B-Girl Raygun, sport hopeful of return to Olympic programme

Australia’s Rachael Gunn, known as Raygun, competes in the breaking dance round robin at the Paris Olympics, where she scored zero points. Photo: AFP

Rachael Gunn (left) with the US’ Logan Edra, aka Logistx, during their battle in the round robin in Paris. Photo: TNS

Gold medal winner Ami Yuasa of Japan says she is sad the sport will not be at Los Angeles 2028. Photo: Xinhua

World DanceSport federation Shawn Tay watches the action flanked by US rapper Snoop Dogg (left) and US basketball player Bam Adebayo. Photo: AFP

Who is Rachael Gunn? Paris Olympics’ Australian breakdancer who became internet meme

Australia’s Rachael Gunn, known as B-Girl Raygun, was the talk of social media after her unique breakdancing at the Paris Olympics. Photo: AP

Rachael Gunn, known as B-Girl Raygun, also has a PHD which focused on breaking in her native Australia. Photo: AFP

Paris Olympics: Eurosport poster that excludes Chinese, Japanese athletes slammed as racist

The poster featured gold medallists such as Noah Lyles and Novak Djokovic, as well as celebrities Tom Cruise and Snoop Dogg, but no one from China or Japan. Photo: Instagram/eurosport

Sport

Paris Olympics 2024

The committee has in particular called for the withdrawal of an anonymous online petition that it calls ‘vexatious, misleading and bullying’


The committee has in particular called for the withdrawal of an anonymous online petition that it says is ‘vexatious, misleading and bullying’.


Breakdancing

Paris Olympics: Australian Olympic body slams criticism of controversial breaker ‘Raygun’

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}The committee has in particular called for the withdrawal of an anonymous online petition that it calls ‘vexatious, misleading and bullying’

The committee has in particular called for the withdrawal of an anonymous online petition that it calls ‘vexatious, misleading and bullying’