Summer reissue: Raygun and the meme Olympics

Behind the Story is taking a break over summer. We’ll be back soon with new episodes but, until then, here’s one of our favourites from 2024: Anna Rawhiti-Connell knows more about the internet and how it functions than probably any other journalist in New Zealand. And this week she had the perfect subject: Raygun, the Olympic breakdancing competitor from Australia. Raygun has been many different things since she first revealed herself in the final weekend of the Paris Games. She’s been an icon, an embarrassment, a hero, and now apparently the subject of an investigation. Anna tracked her rise and fall and rise and fall in a deep dive for The Spinoff. She joins Madeleine Chapman this week to talk about the latest developments, as well as share in some lukewarm takes about New Zealand’s success in Olympic sports. Anatomy of an Olympic internet sensation: Raygun’s fall and rise and fall and rise and… ‘That’s hip hop’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Om Podcasten

Join The Spinoff editor Madeleine Chapman as she sits down with a staff writer or contributor to gain more insight about a big story on The Spinoff from the week.  Alongside getting the inside info, Behind the Story goes beyond the byline – enabling listeners to learn more about the amazing writers that make The Spinoff such a unique and important platform in the digital media landscape.  For The Spinoff editor’s thoughts on the week that was, as well as a handpicked collection of the week’s best reads, subscribe to The Weekend with Madeleine Chapman newsletter at thespinoff.co.nz/newsletters