Viral Raygun petition taken down amid uproar

A ‘defamatory’ petition signed by over 50,000 people calling out breakdancer Raygun’s Paris performance has been taken down.

An allegedly “defamatory” petition signed by over 50,000 people calling out breakdancer Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn’s Paris performance has been taken down.

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) furiously slammed the online petition on Thursday afternoon, labeling it “defamatory” and stating that it contained “numerous falsehoods.”

The Change.org petition, started by an anonymous party known as ‘Someone Who Hates Corruption’, has already reached over 45,000 signatures as of Thursday afternoon since its inception on Monday.

It called for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the AOC to “Hold Raygun Rachel Gunn and Anna Mears (sic) accountable for unethical conduct (and) Olympic selection”.

However, AOC Chief Executive Officer Matt Carroll has slammed the “appalling” petition as “vexatious, misleading, and bullying” and called for it to be “immediately withdrawn.”

On Friday, it had disappeared.

Mr Carroll said that the petition contained “numerous falsehoods” and is designed to “engender hatred” against Dr Gunn, who he says was selected “through a transparent and independent qualification event and nomination process”.

“The AOC is particularly offended by the affront to our Chef de Mission, Anna Meares,” Mr Caroll said in a statement on Thursday.

“The Australian Team Chef de Mission played no role in the qualification events nor the nomination of athletes to the AOC Selection Committee, of which the Chef and I are members.

“It is disgraceful that these falsehoods concocted by an anonymous person can be published in this way. It amounts to bullying and harassment and is defamatory.

The AOC has slammed the "appalling" petition. Picture: Change.org

“We are demanding that it be removed from the site immediately.

“The petition has stirred up public hatred without any factual basis. It’s appalling.

“No athlete who has represented their country at the Olympic Games should be treated in this way and we are supporting Dr Gunn and Anna Meares at this time.

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

The AOC confirmed that the Oceania Qualifying event held in Sydney in October 2023 was conducted under the Olympic qualification system determined by the international governing body, World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) as approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

They stated that the judging panel for the event was selected by the WDSF and consisted of nine independent international judges who were brought to Australia specifically to provide “fair, expert and transparent adjudication”.

B-Girl Raygun of Team Australia competes in Paris. Picture: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The commission added that Dr Gunn “holds no position with AUSBreaking or DanceSport Australia in any capacity” and is “simply an athlete who competed in the qualifying event which she won” with no appeals from any other athletes.

They deny Dr Gunn having “any responsibility for funding decisions in her sport” and confirmed that no federal taxpayer’s funds were sought, nor provided, for the Olympic Teams’ Paris $25 million campaign.

Change.org petition

Raygun has been the topic of countless viral internet memes in the wake of her flailing on stage during the first — and potentially last — Olympic Breaking event.

Everyone from talk show host Jimmy Fallon to Barbara down the road has thrown their two cents at the 36-year-old Aussie.

Raygun mocked on The Jimmy Fallon Show. Picture: Supplied

Some believe Gunn’s left-of-field performance that fell horribly flat in front of the Paris breakdancing judges was an affront to the Australian Olympics team, and the nation as a whole.

But others have rallied behind the Aussie underdog for achieving a dream of hers and doing it her own way.

The Change.org petition argued that the inclusion of Dr Gunn and the green-lighting of her performance at the Games raised serious concerns about the integrity of the selection procedure.