Raven Saunders never fails to steal the show when they compete in the shot put.
The USA star is famed for their mask, shades and purple and green hair, and her infamous look is on display once again at theParis 2024 Olympics.
Saunders, who uses the pronounces they/them, qualified for the women’s shot put final with a distance of 18.62m on their third throw.
The 28 year-old will be looking to go one step better than the silver medal they won three years ago in Tokyo.
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But it is Saunders’ appearance, rather than their medal aspirations, which is the talk of the town.
Why does Raven Saunders wear a face mask?
The mask, glasses and hair is all part of Saunders’ adoption of their ‘Hulk’ alter-ego.
This is an attempt to help Saunders deal with the stress and tension which comes with competing at the elite-end of their sport.
‘Early on, similar to the Hulk, I had a tough time differentiating between the two; I had a tough time controlling when the Hulk came out or when the Hulk didn’t come out,’ Saunders told Yahoo in 2021.
‘But through my journey, especially dealing with mental health and things like that, I learned how to compartmentalize, the same way that Bruce Banner learned to control the Hulk, learned how to let the Hulk come out during the right moments and that way it also gave him a sign of mental peace.
‘But when the Hulk came out, the Hulk was smashing everything that needed to be smashed.’
Saunders became used to wearing a mask during covid, and continued to do so during competitions and it helped them with concentration and self-motivation, as well as ensuring her rivals cannot speak to them and thus distract them during competitions.
When collecting their silver medal at the Tokyo games, Saunders formed an ‘X’ with her hands.
Saunders, who is gay and has been an advocate of LGBTQ+ rights, said the gesture symbolised ‘the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet,’ and hoped the medal would help ‘people all around the world who are fighting and don’t have the platform to speak up for themselves.’
The International Olympic Committee opened an investigation into the gesture as athletes were banned from protesting during podium ceremonies but Saunders was not punished.
Saunders was handed an 18-month ban for missing three doping tests last year but has returned in time to take her place in Paris.
The women’s shot put final will take place at the Stade de France on Friday.
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