Thousands have signed a petition that harshly criticized the Australian breakdancer following her lackluster Olympic performance.
By now, it’s hard not to be aware of the backlash against breakdancer Raygun, whose real name is Rachael Gunn, after her disappointing performance at the Paris Olympics.
For those needing a quick refresher, the Australian athlete gained viral attention on social media due to widespread disapproval of her performance.
The judges were also not impressed, as she failed to score any points in her event.
While some people have taken the opportunity to make jokes and create memes, others have argued that the situation is far more serious.
In fact, one individual decided to start a Change.org petition. The petition has since been removed from the website.
The petition claimed that the b-girl should be held ‘accountable’ for her performance and questioned the fairness of her selection to represent Australia.
It went as far as to accuse Gunn of manipulating the selection process to her own benefit.
Before it was taken down, the petition had garnered over 45,000 signatures. It was flagged for misinformation, reviewed, and then removed from the platform.
As the petition gained traction on social media, more people began to take notice.
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) dismissed the petition and issued a statement condemning it and its claims.
AOC’s Chief Executive Officer Matt Carroll labeled the petition as ‘vexatious, misleading and bullying’.
He added that the petition contained ‘numerous falsehoods designed to engender hatred against an athlete who was selected in the Australian Olympic Team through a transparent and independent qualification event and nomination process.’
Gunn also released a statement discussing the negative impact the backlash has had on her in recent weeks.
In a video posted on Instagram on August 15, she said: “I really appreciate the positivity and I’m glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives, that’s what I hoped.
“I didn’t realize that would also open the door to so much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating.”
She also addressed the ‘misinformation’ about her inclusion in the Australian team, suggesting people refer to the statements by the AOC, as well as posts on the Oz Breaking Instagram page and the WDSF Breaking for Gold page.
Change.org issued a statement saying it ‘maintains strict guidelines against content that constitutes harassment, bullying, or spreading false information’.
“We take such matters seriously and remove any content that violates these standards to protect our users and uphold the integrity of our community,” the statement continued.