Governing body that sent Raygun to Olympic massacre breaks silence on why Australia didn’t send anyone better

The Australian sporting body that sanctioned Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn’s doomed participation in the Olympics has defended its decision and called for an end to the ‘bullying’ of the breakdancer.

Gunn has been on social media frenzy since her disastrous Olympic debut on Saturday (AEST), which saw her denied a single vote in the newly added sport of breaking.

Australian breakdancer Anna Meares defended Raygun on Sunday by calling her the best breakdancer in the country.

However, many Australians questioned the qualification process, pointing to the recent Red Bull BC One 2024 World Final qualification in Melbourne and the Australian title won by talented young dancer Scarlett Frances, also known as B-Girl Scar.

Now AusBreaking, Australia’s governing body, has broken the silence and called for “peace, love and unity”.

“On the world stage, we have seen the physical stamina, agility, precision and creativity required to perform at the highest level,” the company said Tuesday.

‘Let’s focus on breaking as an Olympic sport and uphold the values ​​of the Australian and global breaking community of peace, love and unity.’

Australian Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn has received huge criticism on social media from around the world after her disastrous Olympic debut

AusBreaking defended its selection process in a statement, revealing the procedure all aspiring athletes, including Raygun, had to go through to get on the plane to Paris.

“The selection process for the Australian team going to Paris took two days and was open to all interested participants from the Oceania region,” AusBreaking said.

‘The process was aimed at ensuring a fair and transparent outcome, in accordance with the rules of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), which are aligned with the standards of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

‘A panel of nine international judges, a chief judge and a chairperson to oversee the competition, used the same judging system as at the Paris Olympics and were trained to maintain the highest standards of impartiality.

‘These judges are all highly respected in their respective communities and in the international sporting world.

‘Ultimately, Rachael Gunn and Jeff Dunne came out on top in the exact same process, securing a place to represent Australia in Paris. Their selection was based solely on their performance in their fights on the day.

Questions have been asked about how Gunn got to the Olympics when there is apparently better talent available in Australia

Australian chef de mission Anna Meares defended Raygun and called for an end to the bullying

Footage has since surfaced of Australian breakdancers like Scarlett Frances, aka B-Girl Scar, likely defeating Raygun if they had competed against her.

‘In the run up to Paris, Raygun used her platform as a representative of Australian Breaking to consistently advocate in the media for the history of breaking, its artistic and sporting values ​​and its cultural origins.

‘We condemn the worldwide online harassment and bullying of Raygun. The pressure to perform on the Olympic stage is immense, especially against the opponents in her particular group. We stand in solidarity with Raygun.’

Fellow breaker and anthropologist Lucas Marie, who recently co-authored a paper with Gunn, also defended his fellow breaker.

“She won those fights fairly and also won the qualifier in Sydney,” he told ABC.

‘And it wasn’t really a surprise to anyone.

“She’s been pretty consistent. She’s won or finished second or third in a lot of major events in Australia over the last five to 10 years.”

The World DanceSport Federation, the umbrella organization for breakdancing at the Olympic Games, has also asked Raygun for support.

“We have offered the support of our security officer,” said Sergei Nifontov, secretary general of the WDSF.

“We are aware of what has happened, especially on social media, and we absolutely have to put the athlete’s safety, in this case mental safety, first.

‘We as a federation support her.’