AFP, Sydney :
Australian breakdancer Raygun has spoken out against the “pretty devastating” hatred unleashed online since her widely lampooned Paris Olympics performance.
Rachael “Raygun” Gunn, a 36-year-old Sydney university lecturer, has been ridiculed by some and cheered by others for her unique performance in Paris, where she won none of her three face-offs against other B-Girls.
Gunn thanked her supporters and said she was glad to bring them some joy, in a video from a Brussels street posted on her Instagram account on Thursday.
“I didn’t realise that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating,” she said.
“Well, 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.”
Gunn’s kangaroo-mimicking moves and Australia-logoed tracksuit have been parodied worldwide, including by late-night US television host Jimmy Fallon.
She has faced much stronger criticism and ridicule online.