Cringeworthy and amateurish, yes. But Raygun is no fraud

The inaction of the AOC is partly to blame for fuelling conspiracy theories over Rachael “Raygun” Gunn’s Olympic selection. But the breakdancer’s weird routine will live on long after the fake controversy has died down.

Rachael “Raygun” Gunn was not a cheat who appeared at the Olympics through unethical means.

It’s good to finally get this cleared up.

Some of her breakdancing moves were weird, cringe-worthy and amateurish.

Yes, she looked a bit like someone writhing around on the floor in pain while playing a solo game of Twister during her Olympic performance.

But she is not a fraud.

It should not have taken four days for this to be established.

The Australian Olympic Committee is partly to blame for being so slow to clarify lies about Gunn that have fuelled conspiracy theories.

Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn’s moves were amateurish, but she’s not a cheat. Picture: Getty Images

These include assertions such as that her husband was on the selection committee, that she manipulated the process to her own advantage, that she held positions on bodies that selected her and that Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) games chief Anna Meares was involved in choosing her.

None of these claims are true.

A change.org petition that called for Gunn and “Mears” to be held accountable for her “unethical” selection should not have been allowed to run for days and days, attracting up to 50,000 signatures.

Shame on every single person who signed that petition without first taking steps to make sure its contents were accurate.

The fact that it was started by “Anonymous” tells you all you need to know about the authenticity of its claims. They couldn’t even spell Anna Meares’ name correctly, let alone present an argument based on facts.

The breakdancer’s moves will endure long after the fake controversy over her selection has died. Picture: Getty Images

Matt Carroll, CEO of the AOC, has finally branded the petition and its contents as “disgraceful” and containing falsehoods designed to “engender hatred” towards Gunn.

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

So why did it take so long for him to speak up?

I feel for Gunn, who’s come out overnight describing the impact of the hate on her family and friends.

She said she tried hard and did her best, further dispelling suggestions she made a mockery of the sport and the Olympics.

“I just want to start by thanking all the people who have supported me, I really appreciate the positivity and I was glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives — that’s what I hoped,” she said in a video posted to her Instagram page.

“I didn’t realise that that would also open the door to so much hate which has frankly been pretty devastating,” she said.

The petition has now been removed, leaving Gunn’s performance to speak for itself.

There’s no doubt her routine – including signature moves such as the kangaroo, the sprinkler and the Twister – will endure long after the fake controversy over her selection has died down.