Paris 2024 athletics: Why does Team USA’s Raven Saunders wear a mask when competing?

Team USA’s Raven Saunders took silver at Tokyo 2020, and is looking to go one step further in the women’s shot put final on Friday (9 August) at Paris 2024.

The three-time Olympian, who uses they/them pronouns, has made headlines at the Games for their unique style inside the circle.

Saunders is known for their frequently dyed buzz cut hair, and is sporting a half green-half purple style in Paris, which they say is a nod to the comic-book character Hulk.

“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,” they told Yahoo Sports in 2021.

But it’s not just Saunders’ choice of hairstyle that has caught the attention spectators.

Stepping into the circle, the Tokyo 2020 silver-medallist is often sporting a mask that covers the majority of their face. This is usually complemented by sunglasses.

Fans have been left wondering if the use of a mask helps improve Saunders’ technique or if it is simply a fashion statement - until the Charleston-born athlete revealed the reason they choose to cover their face.

Speaking to the media, Saunders revealed that they became comfortable wearing masks during the COVID-19 pandemic and therefore has continued to wear them since as it helps them avoid distractions.

The 28 year-old also suggested that their collection of masks - paired with their hair, nails, and gold teeth grills - is a way to make them stand out,” they said.

“It is one way to make me stand out and I want to encourage other women – a lot of younger athletes are coming through and they really push their own styles.

“It limits the showcase that we are shot putters, but we have our own style, we can do things as big and bright as any sprinter, any jumper, whoever. So we deserve that spotlight as well.”

Raven Saunders has long been a supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. They themselves identify as gay and when collecting their silver medal in Tokyo, Saunders formed an ‘X’ shape with their wrists in a continued show of advocacy.

“The intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet”, they explained afterwards, before adding that their silver medal was for “people all around the world who are fighting and don’t have the platform to speak up for themselves.”