The internet had more than its fair share of laughs after Australian breakdancer Rachel Gunn, aka Raygun, executed the most comical breakdancing routine in the very young history of Olympic breakdancing.
However, not everyone is laughing.
A Change.Org petition was recently created to hold “Raygun” and the head of the Australian Olympic contingent, Anna Mears, accountable for “manipulating” the selection process that landed the 36-year-old university professor on the Olympic stage at the Paris Games.
What’s the NBA equivalent of Rachel Gunn’s performance at the Olympics?pic.twitter.com/8FoIjIzdFy
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) August 13, 2024
We, the undersigned, call for immediate accountability and transparency in the recent actions of Rachel Gunn and Anna Mears in the selection process for Australia’s female breakdancer representative at the upcoming Olympics,” the petition reads.
The bunny hop 😂😂 I have not laughed this hard in so long. Thank you Australia.
I still don’t understand how she qualified or who let her into the Olympics, But thank you. 😂
If you haven’t gone down the Australian breakdancer rabbit hole you’re truly missing out #olympic2024 pic.twitter.com/IjgPYUIsxe
— BravoUniversitea (@BrvoUniversitea) August 10, 2024
The petition then details its allegations against Gunn, claiming she used the selection process to advance herself at the expense of more deserving Australian breakdancers.
Rachel Gunn, who set up her own governing body for breakdancing, has manipulated the selection process to her own advantage. Despite the clear talent and qualification of other outstanding female breakdancers like G Clef and Holy Molly, they were unfairly overlooked. The NT Youlong Boys, a group of incredibly talented and underprivileged youth from the Northern Territory, were denied crucial funding by Dr. Gunn to attend the qualifiers—a decision that directly impacted their chance to showcase their skills on a national stage.
Disturbingly, Dr. Gunn went on to win her own qualifier, defeating other phenomenal breakdancers, raising serious questions about the fairness and integrity of the process. If Dr. Gunn’s husband is indeed the Australian coach and part of the selection panel, this represents a blatant conflict of interest that cannot go unchecked.
The petition closes with a call for an apology.
We demand a public apology from Rachel Gunn and Anna Mears for misleading the Australian public and attempting to gaslight the public and undermining the efforts of genuine athletes. We also call for a full investigation into the selection process, an audit of Dr. Gunn’s business dealings, and a global public apology to the breaking community for the unethical behavior that has tainted this sport. Rachel Gunn’s lack of ethics and morals raises serious concerns about her fitness to teach and hold any position of authority in the sport, or university.
Australia must do better by its athletes and ensure that the principles of fairness, transparency, and integrity are upheld in all aspects of Olympic selection.
As of this writing, the petition has 11,173 signatures out of a goal of 15,000.