Australian b-girl Raygun made some fans at the Olympics. But she also faced a whole lot of hate after the Games' breakdancing competition. "So much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating," the breaker, whose real name is Rachael Gunn, described Thursday in a video shared on Instagram. The 36-year-old college professor's unique moves, including a freeze in a stance resembling a kangaroo's, "quickly became the focus of memes and jokes on social media," per ABC News. Some even suggested the b-girl, who lost her three round-robin battles without winning a single point, shouldn't have been at the Olympics but "manipulated" the selection process.
More than 56,000 people have signed the Change.org petition suggesting Gunn's husband and coach, professional breaker Samuel Free, was "part of the selection panel," the Guardian reports. In fact, Raygun was the top female finisher at the QMS Oceania Championships, a 2023 qualifying event evaluated by nine independent international judges, not including Free, according to the Australian Olympic Committee, which is demanding the petition be pulled. CEO Matt Carroll says it "amounts to bullying and harassment" and contains "malicious untruths and misinformation" designed to "engender hatred" toward Gunn.
"I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all. Truly," Gunn—a former jazz and ballroom dancer who represented Australia at the World Breaking Championships in 2021, 2022, and 2023—said Thursday, urging the press "to please stop harassing my family, my friends, the Australian breaking community, and the broader street dance community." The Macquarie University lecturer who holds a PhD in cultural studies also took time to thank her supporters. "I really appreciate the positivity, and I'm glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives," she said. "That's what I hoped." (Olympic champion boxer Imane Khelif has sued in response to the harassment she faced.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
