Featured Image Credit: raygun_aus/Instagram/Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images
Topics: News, World News, Australia
Kit Roberts
Topics: News, World News, Australia
The woman at the centre of a viral breakdancing video at the Olympics has spoken out since her controversial appearance at the contest.
Raygun, whose real name is Rachael Gunn, caused a stir with her performance in the breakdancing competition at the Olympics.
Many were left perplexed by her performance which they felt didn't showcase the same level of athleticism as the other competitors and included some unusual moves.
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The performance saw Raygun, who works as a lecturer in cultural studies at Macquarie University in Australia, at the centre of controversy online.
Now, the breakdancer and lecturer has taken to Instagram in her first statement since her Olympic appearance went viral
In it, she called the online abuse she has received 'devastating'.
She said: "I just wanna start by thanking all the people who have supported me, I really appreciate the positivity, and I was able to bring some joy into your lives. That's what I hoped.
"I didn't realise that would also open the door to so much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating.
"While I went out there and I had fun I did take it very seriously, I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all, truly.
"I am honoured to have been a part of the Australian Olympic team and to be part of breaking's Olympic debut."
"What the other athletes have achieved has been phenomenal."
She went on to address the controversy around her appearance, saying: "In regards to the allegations and misinformation that's been floating around, I'd like to ask everyone to please refer to the recent statement provided by the AOC [Australian Olympic Committee], as well as the posts on the Oz Breaking Instagram page as well as the WDSF Breaking for Gold page."
The competitor added: "Bit of a fun fact for you, there are actually no points in breaking. If you wanna see how the judges thought I compared to my opponents you can actually see the comparison percentages across the five criteria on Olympics.com, all the results are there."
She went on to criticise coverage of the Olympic breaking and the pressure it has put on her family and friends.
The dancer said: "I'm gonna be in Europe for a few weeks for some pre-planned downtime but I'd really like to ask the press to please stop harassing my family, my friends, the Australian breaking community, and the broader street-dancing community.
"Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this so I ask you to please respect their privacy."