Rachael 'Raygun' Gunn breaks her silence on Olympic breakdancing backlash

It's been quite the week for Rachael "Raygun" Gunn. She's the Australian breaker who recently competed at the Olympics and received tons of backlash. Many accused Gunn of using amateurish moves and not taking the competition seriously. She just broke her silence about the whole thing on Instagram and admitted the controversy has taken a toll on her.

"I just want to start by thanking all the people who have supported me," Gunn began. "I really appreciate the positivity, and I’m glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives; that’s what I hoped. I didn’t realize 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 worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics, and I gave my all, truly."

Rachael “Raygun” Gunn

Gunn then addressed a petition that was created on Change.Org before being removed. In the document, the 36-year-old was accused of manipulating the Olympic selection process to compete over more qualified individuals. But Gunn said that's completely false.

"In regards to the allegations and misinformation floating around, I'd like to ask everyone to please refer to the recent statement made by the AOC, as well as the posts on the Ausbreaking Instagram page, as well as the WDSF Breaking for Gold page," she requested.

After that, Gunn said she was taking off to Europe for some "pre-planned down time" and then made a plea to the media. "Please stop harassing my family, my friends, the Australian breaking community, and the broader street dance community," she said. "Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this, so I ask you to please respect their privacy."

Gunn — who's a professor at Macquarie University in Sydney — closed her message by saying she'd be happy to answer questions once she returns to Australia.

Hopefully, people will eventually ease up on her because yes, she doesn't seem to be the best breaker, but it appears she took the Olympics seriously and didn't mock breaking or hip-hop as some have alleged.