Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn says the reaction she has received since competing in the Paris Olympics has been devastating and asked for her family and friends to remain private.

“I really appreciate the positive vibes and I’m glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives. That’s what I hoped,” Gunn said in a video from a Brussels street that she posted on her Instagram account on Thursday.

“I didn’t realize that this would also open the door to so much hate – which, frankly, was pretty devastating.”

Gunn, a 36-year-old lecturer at a Sydney university who competes under the name B-Girl Raygun, faced harsh criticism online and in the mainstream media after losing all three of her round-robin bouts in Paris, where Breaking News was making its Olympic debut.

Her kangaroo-like movements and tracksuit with the Australia logo have been parodied around the world, including by US late-night host Jimmy Fallon.

“So, I went out there and had fun – I took it very seriously. I worked my ass off preparing for the Olympics and gave it my all. I really did,” Gunn said.

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) had earlier on Thursday condemned an online petition calling for an investigation into Gunn’s selection for the Paris Olympics, saying the petition contained falsehoods aimed at stirring up hatred against her.

AOC executive director Matt Carroll said the petition “incited public hatred without any factual basis,” adding that it was “harassing, misleading and intimidating.”

In a statement later Thursday, Change.org said the site had removed the petition – which had garnered more than 54,000 signatures – after it was flagged for misinformation.

“Change.org strictly adheres to policies against content that constitutes harassment, bullying, or the spread of false information,” the statement said. “We take such matters seriously and remove any content that violates these standards to protect our users and maintain the integrity of our community.”

Carroll’s statement also said Gunn, 36, was “selected through a transparent and independent qualification and nomination process.”

Unattributed comments on social media also suggested that Gunn and her husband, fellow breakdancer Samuel Free, held positions in Australian breakdancing organizations.

“Rachael Gunn does not hold any role with AUSBreaking or DanceSport Australia,” the AOC said on Thursday. “She is simply an athlete who competed in the qualifying event, which she won.”

Gunn asked for privacy, saying: “I would really like to ask the press to stop harassing my family, my friends, the Australian breakdancing community and the wider street dancing community. Everyone has been through a lot because of this, so I ask that you please respect their privacy.”

She said she would spend a few weeks of her already planned holiday in Europe and would answer any further questions upon her return to Australia.

The Olympic breakthrough may have been a one-off event in Paris. The sport is not on the competition list in Los Angeles in 2028 and is unlikely to appear in Brisbane, Australia, in 2032.