Sydney, Australia. The Australian Olympic Committee has criticised an anonymous online petition against controversial Paris Games competitor Rachael Gunn, saying the petition was “harassing, misleading and intimidating”.

Last weekend, breakdancing made its Olympic debut, and one unforgettable sight was the performance of an Australian B-girl named Raygun – 36-year-old Professor Gunn of the University of Sydney – who, among other questionable moves, performed a “kangaroo dance” during her routine and received zero points for it.

Gunn was heavily criticized for her performance; in the USA, parodies of it were even shown in a late-night show.

Gunn, who has not yet returned to Australia after the Games, received strong support in Paris from Australian team manager Anna Meares. On Thursday, the AOC went a big step further and refuted numerous false stories that have since appeared on the internet.

Board Chairman Matt Carroll said AOC had written a letter to change.org, which had published a petition criticizing Gunn and AOC, demanding that it be withdrawn immediately.

More than 40,000 people have signed the petition claiming that Gunn “rigged” the Olympic qualification process.

According to Carroll, the petition contained “numerous falsehoods designed to incite hatred against an athlete who was selected for the Australian Olympic team through a transparent and independent qualification and nomination process.”

“It’s a disgrace that these falsehoods, fabricated by an anonymous person, can be published in this way,” Carroll said. “This is bullying and harassment and defamatory. We demand that this is removed from the website immediately. No athlete who has represented their country at the Olympics should be treated in this way.”

Online criticism over the past week has included suggestions that the Oceania qualifying tournament held in Sydney last October was designed to Gunn’s advantage and questioning the scoring that allowed Gunn to qualify.

The AOC said on Thursday that the Oceania qualifying event was held under the Olympic qualifying system established by the international governing body World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) and approved by the International Olympic Committee.

It was said that the jury for the event was selected by the WDSF and consisted of nine independent international judges.

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.”

At the Olympic Games, it could be a one-off event in Paris. The athlete is not on the competition list for the next Olympic Games in 2028 in Los Angeles, and he is also unlikely to compete in 2032 in Brisbane, Australia.

Tags: Keywords: