The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has issued a statement regarding a Change.org petition demanding an investigation into viral Aussie B-Girl Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn, Chef de Mission Anna Meares and the selection process for Australia’s breaking team.
On Thursday afternoon (AEST), the AOC publicly condemned an online petition made against Dr Gunn and Meares, and demanded that Change.org withdraw the online petition “attacking” the Olympian.
“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,” AOC Chief Executive Officer Matt Carroll said.
“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.
“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.”
Furthermore, the AOC shared a list of facts regarding how the selection process happened and how Team Australia’s breaking team were funded throughout the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
“Dr Rachael Gunn in winning the Oceania Breaking Championship in October 2023 was legitimately nominated by DanceSport Australia to the AOC for selection in the Australian Olympic Team,” the statement continued.
“Dr Rachael Gunn holds no position with AUSBreaking or DanceSport Australia in any capacity. She is simply an athlete who competed in the qualifying event which she won. There were no appeals from any athlete.
“Mr Samuel Free (Gunn’s husband) is a coach who holds no position with AUSBreaking or DanceSport Australia in any capacity and was not a judge at the qualifying event.”
What are the accusations made against Dr Rachael Gunn in the Change.org petition?
Days after Gunn’s performance at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games — which has since gone viral across the globe — a petition was made by a user in Brisbane who posts under “Someone Who Hates Corruption.”
In the petition which is titled “Hold Raygun Rachel [sic] Gunn & Anna Mears [sic] Accountable for Unethical Conduct Olympic Selection”, a variety of allegations are made against the Olympian and Chef de Mission regarding how the selection process went for Australia’s Breaking Team.
It also accused Raygun of blocking other competitors from qualifying and described her relationship with Free as a “conflict of interest” if he was confirmed to be one of the judges on the selection panel, which has since been debunked by the AOC.
“Rachel [sic] Gunn, who set up her own governing body for breakdancing, has manipulated the selection process to her own advantage,” the petition description claimed.
“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.”
The petition demands that Gunn and Meares issue a “public apology” for “misleading the Australian 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 [behaviour] that has tainted this sport,” the petition demands.
“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.”
At the time of writing, the Change.org petition is currently sitting at 45,779 signatures with an aim of 50,000.
The AOC says it has contacted the website directly to have the petition to be withdrawn.
Gunn nor Meares have issued a public statement regarding the claims made in the petition.
PEDESTRIAN.TV has reached out to the Change.org petition organiser for comment.
Image source: Getty Images / Elsa
The post The Australian Olympic Committee Has Condemned A Change.org Petition Made Against Rachael Gunn appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
