Australian breakdancer Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn has spoken for the first time since her viral performance at the Olympics.
In a video posted to Instagram, Raygun said she was left “devastated” by all the hate directed at her.
The 36-year-old lost her three battles in the Olympics debut of breaking, but put the sport on the map with her performance.
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The university professor’s unique moves were widely panned, including a cruel segment on Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show.
There was also a petition set up that made a host of unfounded claims, which forced the AOC to respond.
![Raygun went viral for her performance at the Olympics.](https://images.7news.com.au/publication/C-15717259/9e48799f56cb7c4241abbec0d57dbbd36e0a70e0.jpg?imwidth=650&impolicy=sevennews_v2)
![Raygun went viral for her performance at the Olympics.](https://images.7news.com.au/publication/C-15717259/9e48799f56cb7c4241abbec0d57dbbd36e0a70e0.jpg?imwidth=650&impolicy=sevennews_v2)
Raygun, who is still in Europe, released a video message thanking her fans and hitting back at her critics.
“I just want to start by thanking all the people that are supporting me, I really appreciate the positivity and I’m glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives, that’s what I hoped,” she said.
“I didn’t realise that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating.
“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 breakings Olympic debut.”
She also referred everyone to the AOC statement issued earlier on Thursday in response to all the wild claims about how she was selected for the Olympic team.
And added a “fun fact” about how battles are scored.
“Bit of a fun fact for you: there are actually no points in breaking. If you wanted to 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 also urged everyone to “stop harassing” her family, friends, and the Australian breaking and the broader street dance community.
“Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this so I ask you to still respect their privacy,” she added.
Raygun finished the video by saying she’d be happy to answer more questions when she returns to Australia.
The AOC had earlier released an explosive statement, slamming the online petition.
AOC CEO Matt Carroll wrote to change.org demanding the “appalling” petition be immediately withdrawn, calling it “vexatious, misleading and bullying”.