Australian breaker Rachel “Raygun” Gunn, who rapidly grew to become one of the vital talked about Olympians on the Paris Video games following her efficiency, stated a lot of the heavy criticism of her expertise was because of a lack of information of the game.
“The power and vitriol that individuals had was fairly alarming,” Gunn informed “The Undertaking,” a present on Australia’s Channel 10 in her first interview because the Olympics.”It was actually unhappy how a lot hate that it did evoke and a variety of the responses, although, was additionally because of individuals not being very aware of breaking and the range of approaches in breaking.”
Gunn, 37, didn’t win any of her three round-robin battles with a mixed rating of 54-0 on the Paris Video games, the place breaking made its Olympic debut. Her efficiency instantly sparked a wave of memes and web fodder, notably her dance strikes mimicking a kangaroo when she held her arms near her physique and kicked her leg within the air.
Again house, the Australian media and different breakers rapidly criticized Gunn’s strikes.
“I’m very sorry for the backlash that the group has skilled, however I can’t management how individuals react,” Gunn stated. “Sadly, we simply want some extra sources in Australia for us to have an opportunity to be world champions. … We haven’t had the very best monitor document of profitable world championships, so I don’t suppose that’s simply on me.”
Gunn stated an AOC media liaison warned her concerning the fast on-line criticism after her Olympic efficiency, inflicting her to take a break from social media. She stated it “put me in a state of panic” and she or he wasn’t comfy going out in public after Australian media began criticizing her.
Theories over how Gunn certified for the Olympics started circulating on-line, and a Change.org petition alleging she manipulated the qualification course of garnered over 45,000 signatures earlier than the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) requested its removing.
AOC chief govt Matt Carroll known as the petition “disgraceful” and stated it unfold misinformation based mostly on opinions.
“The conspiracy theories have been simply terrible,” Gunn stated. “That was upsetting as a result of it wasn’t simply individuals (who) didn’t perceive breaking and have been simply indignant about my efficiency. It was individuals now attacking our repute and our integrity. None of them have been grounded in any type of details.”
Gunn secured her spot within the Paris Video games after profitable the QMS Oceania Championships in Sydney, an automated qualifying competitors with 15 breakers. She stated she knew “the chances have been towards me” when competing within the Olympics.
“I knew I used to be going to get crushed and I knew that individuals weren’t going to know my model and what I used to be going to do. I needed to carry out some Australian strikes and themes. I like our Olympic mascot, BK, the boxing kangaroo, and I needed to point out that. … I needed to go together with what I used to be good at. I needed to go together with my strengths.”
Gunn added that she doesn’t plan to compete “for some time” to remain out of the highlight and is concentrated on the constructive responses to her Olympic efficiency.
“It has been truthfully so wonderful to see the constructive response to my efficiency. I by no means thought that I’d have the ability to join with so many individuals in such a constructive manner.”
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(Picture: Harry Langer / DeFodi Pictures through Getty Pictures)
