Featured Image Credit: Instagram / raygun_aus Rene Nijhuis / BSR Agency / Getty Images
Topics: Australia, Olympics, Social Media, Sport
Tom Earnshaw
Topics: Australia, Olympics, Social Media, Sport
A petition signed by more than 50,000 people asking for viral Australian breakdancer Raygun to 'apologise' has been taken offline.
The petition was launched on Monday (12 August) following the end of the 2024 Paris Olympics, in which 36-year-old Rachael Gunn represented Australia in the women's breaking competition, with the sport making its Olympic debut in the French capital.
Known as Raygun in the industry, Gunn's routine went viral and was shared countless times across social media, with it even making its way on to late night television in the USA.
Raygun's routine in the heats saw her score zero and not make it through to the latter stages of the competition in the hunt for an Olympic medal but that didn't mean anything when it came to being a social media sensation; something she fully embraced shortly before the closing ceremony.
The day after the Olympics ended, a petition was launched on Change.org demanding the 'immediate accountability and transparency in the recent actions of Rachel Gunn and Anna Meares in the selection process for Australia's female breakdancer representative at the upcoming Olympics'.
Advert
It had been signed by more than 50,000 people as of Thursday (15 August) and asked for Gunn to make a public apology for allegedly 'manipulating the selection process to her own advantage and for misleading the Australian public and attempting to gaslight the public and undermining the efforts of genuine athletes'.
It was condemned by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) who demanded it was thrown out altogether, with zero evidence presented to back up the claims made about Raygun.
Change.org confirmed to LADbible the petition was under review. And now, in an update, a spokesperson revealed it has been taken offline after being 'flagged for misinformation', with them saying they 'remove any content that violates their standards' when it comes to 'harassment, bullying, or spreading false information'.
The spokesperson told LADbible: "The petition was flagged for misinformation and was reviewed according to our Community Guidelines. It has since been removed from the platform.
Advert
"Change.org 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 removal of the petition will be welcome news to Raygun and the AOC, with AOC boss Matt Carroll labelling the petition as 'appalling'.
Raygun herself made her first public statement via Instagram on Thursday in which she said little more about the petition other than to refer to the AOC's statement on it.
Before it was taken offline, Carroll had said: "The AOC is particularly offended by the affront to our Chef de Mission, Anna Meares. 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.
Advert
"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. We are demanding that it be removed from the site immediately."
In her Instagram video, Raygun asked for the media to 'stop harassing my family, my friends, the Australian breaking community and the broader street dance community' as she enjoys some 'pre-planned downtime' in Europe for the next few weeks.