Raven Saunders caused a stir on Thursday during the qualifying competition for the shot put at the Olympic Games in Paris, with the American trying to move up a notch after her silver medal at the Games in Tokyo.
Saunders – who uses the pronouns they/them – wore a black mask and sunglasses as they attempted to reach the finals. Saunders uses their alter ego “Hulk” as they compete to deal with the stress of elite sport. They say they can relate to the superhero’s difficult journey to master his strength and power.
“In the beginning, like the Hulk, I had a hard time distinguishing between the two; I had a hard time determining when the Hulk was coming out and when the Hulk wasn’t coming out,” they told Yahoo Sports in 2021. “But through my journey, especially dealing with mental health and things like that, I learned how to compartmentalize, the same way Bruce Banner learned to control the Hulk, learned how to let the Hulk come out at the right times and in that way it also gave him a sign of mental calm. But when the Hulk came out, the Hulk crushed everything that needed to be crushed.”
The 28-year-old got used to wearing masks during Covid restrictions and has continued to do so, saying it helps them concentrate and avoid talking to other competitors who could distract them during competitions.
Saunders, who is Black and gay, formed an “X” with their wrists on the podium as they accepted their silver in Tokyo. Saunders, who has been an advocate for LGBTQ rights and mental health awareness, said the gesture represented “the intersection where all oppressed people meet”, adding that they hoped the medal would “help people around the world who are fighting and don’t have the platform to stand up for themselves”.
The IOC launched an investigation into the gesture, which banned athletes from protesting on stage in Tokyo. However, Saunders was not punished.
Saunders, who enjoys playing the piano in his spare time, made his Olympic debut in Rio, where he finished fifth before winning silver in Tokyo. The American was also a talented basketball player before focusing on track and field in college.
“I had basketball dreams. I started shot put as something to help with basketball,” Saunders said. “I didn’t think much of it, but I’d been playing basketball since third grade. I was actually thinking about moving to Florida with a cousin before I started shot put. So it gave me a reason to stay home and train.”
Saunders’ third attempt of 18.62m on Thursday qualified them for the final. Canada’s Sarah Mitton led the qualifiers with a throw of 19.77m.
Saunders was given an 18-month ban after missing three doping tests and missing the 2023 world championships. The ban ended in February 2024, allowing them to compete at the Paris Games.