Australian Olympic Committee Condemns ‘False’ Online Petition Against Controversial Breaker Rachael Gunn

Chief executive officer Matt Carroll stated that the AOC had contacted change.org, which had launched a petition denouncing Gunn and the AOC.

By Blesson Daniel

Published on Aug 15, 2024 | 08:47 PM IST | 42.9K

Rachael Gunn[Credit-Instagram@raygun_aus]

The Australian Olympic Committee has slammed an anonymous internet petition that spreads misinformation about how B-girl Rachael "Raygun" Gunn was chosen to compete in the Paris Games.

Matt Carroll, the AOC's CEO, called the petition, which also targeted Australia's chef de mission, Anna Meares, "disgraceful" and amounted to bullying and harassment.

Gunn, a 36-year-old university lecturer, saw her performance in the Olympic breaking event go viral on social media. She did not score a single point from the judges and was eliminated in the round-robin round.

The petition, which has received over 45,000 signatures, claims Gunn "manipulated" the selection process for her own benefit and questions if Gunn's spouse was a screening panel member.

However, Carroll claimed that the petition contained multiple "disgraceful" inaccuracies and was intended to "engender hatred" for Gunn, whom he claimed was chosen in a transparent and impartial process. He stated that he had written to change.org, "demanding" that the petition be withdrawn immediately.

“It is disgraceful that these falsehoods concocted by an anonymous person can be published in this way. It amounts to bullying and harassment and is defamatory,” Carroll said.

“It’s important that the community understands the facts and that people do not form opinions based on malicious untruths and misinformation.”

The committee's answer refuted many charges in the petition, stating that the judging panel in the qualifying tournament that Gunn won was made up of nine impartial international judges. It further noted that Gunn had no affiliation with the organizations that organized the event, AUSBreaking or DanceSport Australia.

According to the statement, Gunn's husband, Samuel Free, a professional breakdancer and Gunn's coach, held no position with either body and did not judge the qualifying event.

It further said that Gunn was lawfully nominated after winning the qualifying event, no other competitors filed appeals, and Meares had no involvement in the qualifying event or athlete nominations.

“The AOC is particularly offended by the affront to our Chef de Mission, Anna Meares. The Australian Team Chef de Mission 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.”

Earlier in the week, Meares launched a passionate defense of Gunn, calling out "keyboard warriors" and claiming Gunn was the "best [female-breaking competitor] that we have for Australia."

Members of Australia's breaking community have regarded Gunn as a respected part of the local scene, but her performance at the Olympics does not reflect the level of breaking in Australia.

According to one member, several of Australia's greatest B-girls were unable to attend the Olympic qualification event due to various technological issues.

Breaking at the Olympics may be a one-time event in Paris. It is not on the competition list for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles and is unlikely to feature in 2032 in Brisbane, Australia.

Also Read: Did Viral Australian Breakdancer Raygun ‘Rig’ Her Way to the Paris Olympics? The Full Controversy Explained