AOC Chief Executive Officer Matt Carroll says the AOC has written to change.org which has published the petition demanding it be immediately withdrawn.

Mr Carroll says the petition contains numerous falsehoods designed to engender hatred against an athlete who was selected in the Australian Olympic Team through a transparent and independent qualification event and nomination process.

“The AOC is particularly offended by the affront to our Chef de Mission, Anna Meares. The Australian Team Chef de Mission played no role in the qualification events nor the nomination of athletes to the AOC Selection Committee, of which the Chef and I are members,” Mr Carroll said.

“It is disgraceful that these falsehoods concocted by an anonymous person can be published in this way. It amounts to bullying and harassment and is defamatory. We are demanding that it be removed from the site immediately.

“The petition has stirred up public hatred without any factual basis. It’s appalling. No athlete who has represented their country at the Olympic Games should be treated in this way and we are supporting Dr Gunn and Anna Meares at this time.

“It’s important that the community understands the facts and that people do not form opinions based on malicious untruths and misinformation.

For the record, the AOC can lay out the following facts.

• The Oceania Qualifying event held in Sydney in October 2023 was conducted under the Olympic qualification system determined by the international governing body,  World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) as approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
• The judging panel for the event was selected by the WDSF and consisted of nine independent international judges who were brought to Australia specifically to provide fair, expert and transparent adjudication.
• The event was conducted by AUSBreaking under the auspices of DanceSport Australia and the WDSF and complying with WDSF guidelines. Athletes from four countries – Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji competed.
• Dr Rachael Gunn in winning the Oceania Breaking Championship in October 2023 was legitimately nominated by DanceSport Australia to the AOC for selection in the Australian Olympic Team.
• Dr Rachael Gunn holds no position with AUSBreaking or DanceSport Australia in any capacity. She is simply an athlete who competed in the qualifying event which she won. There were no appeals from any athlete.
• Dr Gunn has no responsibility for any funding decisions in her sport.
• Mr Samuel Free is a coach who holds no position with AUSBreaking or DanceSport Australia in any capacity and was not a judge at the qualifying event.
• Australian Olympic Team Chef de Mission Anna Meares was not involved in the qualifying event or nomination of athletes.
• DanceSport Australia and the athletes received no Federal Government Funding.
• The AOC provided high performance funding to DanceSport Australia for Breaking, from its own financial resources.
• The Australian Olympic Committee fully funded the Australian Olympic Team’s campaign to Paris.
• No Federal taxpayer’s funds were sought, nor provided for the Olympic Teams’ Paris campaign. The $25 million dollar cost for the Team was met entirely by the Australian Olympic Committee.