‘Devastating’: Raygun breaks silence

Australia’s astir arguable Olympian Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn has breached her soundlessness aft copping flack for her unusual show successful the breakdancing contention successful Paris.

In an Instagram station published connected Thursday night, Gunn, 36, said she “gave her all” successful the competition.

Her unsocial interruption dancing benignant – which included a kangaroo hop – went viral aft she competed astatine the Paris Olympics, gaining planetary attraction from American speech amusement big Jimmy Fallon and singing superstar Adele.

It’s besides led to an online petition targeting breaking Gunn, demanding a nationalist apology which the Australian Olympic Committee has called “vexatious, misleading and bullying”.

“I conscionable privation to commencement by thanking each the radical who supported me. I truly admit each the positivity and I’m gladsome I was capable to bring immoderate joyousness to your life” Gunn said successful the Instagram post.

“I didn’t besides deliberation that would unfastened the doorway to truthful overmuch hatred which has frankly been devastating.

“I did instrumentality it precise seriously. I worked my but off.”

She has besides asked the media to “please halt harassing my family, my friends, the breaking community”.

“I volition beryllium blessed to reply questions connected my instrumentality to Australia.”

Gunn did not instrumentality to Australia connected Wednesday with astir of the remainder of the Australian team, alternatively taking a pre-planned holiday.

Earlier connected Thursday, the Australian Olympic Committee lashed the petition.

AOC brag Matt Carroll said the petition, which demands a nationalist apology from Gunn and cook de ngo Anna Meares for “unethical conduct” implicit the dancer’s Olympic selection, was “appalling” and had “no factual basis”.

Created by an anonymous idiosyncratic connected Monday, the Change.org petition has attracted much than 45,000 signatures and claims Gunn “set up her ain governing assemblage for breakdancing” and rigged qualification for the one-off Olympic sport.

More to come