Aussie “B-Girl” Digs Deeper Hole With Olympics Defense: “I Gave My All”
Macquarie University lecturer and part-time breaker Rachael “Raygun” Gunn, who ignited a firestorm of controversy with her 2024 Paris Olympics performance, addressed the backlash in an Instagram video on Thursday (August 15).
While she took a moment to acknowledge the people who’ve been supportive in the wake of her viral routine, she soon focused on the negativity that’s been funneled her way ever since.
“I just want to start by thanking all the people who have supported me. I really appreciate the positivity and I’m glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives,” she began. “I didn’t realize that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating.”
Gunn also insisted she wasn’t competing as some kind of troll job or a social experiment as many have suspected online. She continued: “While 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.”
Toward the end of the clip, Gunn begged the press for privacy and asked for her circle to be left alone. She added, “I’m going to be in Europe for a few weeks for some pre-planned downtime but 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.”
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But Gunn’s explanation was quickly picked apart, with many confused by her lack of accountability. They were also surprised she didn’t offer a simple apology for what many believe (including the judges) was a subpar performance. The comment section lit up with reactions like, “Nice try but obviously you haven’t accepted what you did” and “I think people would respect you more if you just owned up to your performance ..rather than defending just own up to the fact that hey, maybe you weren’t prepared and shouldn’t have been at the Olympics.”
Other comments included, “Playing the victim card…… just apologize on how bad you were and prob gain more respect” and “What a lack of honest self reflection. Pretty childish.”
One person really laid it out with, “I do not hate you but I stand by my right to criticize your selection and this performance. You have to own up to a bad result. Your response is narcissistic. Please try to be humble and accept that a lot of people felt you did not represent this country as best you could or better than other breakdancers.
“I don’t agree with a petition however I believe your response to criticism is causing so much angst. Is it not possible for you to say your performance was not good because you received no points? I believe your response to criticism is causing people to feel you think you are beyond criticism. And no one is. I believe you are playing he victim in this.”
The petition the person mentioned is in reference to a since-deleted Change.Org petition that was launched to hold Gunn and Anna Meares “accountable for unethical conduct.” Addressed to Anthony Albanese, the petition argued that the inclusion of Gunn and the green-lighting of her performance at the Games raises serious concerns about the integrity of the selection procedure. The petition alleged that Gunn manipulated the selection process to her own advantage, arguing that more talented and qualified breakdancers such as “G Clef” and “Holy Molly” were unfairly overlooked.
“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,” it read. “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.”