Raven Saunders is already a shot put record-breaker, but the 25-year-old track and field star is now a wave-maker with her Joker-themed face masks and brightly colored hair. And like Simone Biles, Saunders has stepped away from competition in the past to focus on mental health. Here are five things to know about Team USA’s Raven Saunders.
Who was that masked person?
It was Raven Saunders, of course — the theatrical American shot put standout who uses the pronouns they and them and brings their own distinctive style to every meet they attend.
Saunders was throwing Thursday at the Olympics, wearing a full-faced black mask and bronze sunglasses and their hair dyed neon green. Saunders refers to this as the “Hulk” look, one that helps them feel like a superhero getting ready to hurl that 8.8-pound hunk of metal.
After scratching on their first throw, they recorded 17.93 meters on their second and 18.62 on their final to secure a spot for Friday’s final.
Saunders won a silver medal at the Tokyo Games and, at the ceremony, crossed their arms and formed an “X” with their wrists.
Saunders explained the “X” stood for “the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet.”
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The 28-year-old from Charleston, South Carolina, competed at Southern Illinois before transferring to Ole Miss. They won NCAA shot put titles at both schools, in 2015 and 2016.
