Joe McConnell
Australian Olympian Anna Meares says social media ridicule of a dancer for her routine and choice of clothing is “really disappointing”.
Rachael Gunn, 36, failed to convince the judges, losing her three round robin competitive breakdancing event on Friday by an overall score of 54-0.
The university lecturer, who competes under the pseudonym Raygun, wore a green and yellow Australian Olympic tracksuit while her rivals wore street clothes when breaking made its Olympic debut.
In addition to criticizing her outfit, social media users mocked the Australian’s choreography, as she hopped around the stage like a kangaroo and sometimes stood upside down.
Explaining her performance, Gunn said: “I could never beat these girls at what they do best, which is dynamic and powerful movement, so I wanted to move differently, be artistic and creative, because how many opportunities do you get in your life to do that on an international stage?
“I’ve always been an underdog and I wanted to make my mark in a different way.”
Meares, a two-time Olympic cycling gold medalist and the Australian team’s chef de mission in Paris, said of the criticism: “I think what’s happened on social media with the trolls and keyboard warriors, and the fact that those comments have been taken up and published, has been really disappointing.”
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Meares said: “I love her courage. I love her character and I feel very disappointed for her that she was attacked in the way that she was.”
