Why Team USA Olympics star Raven Saunders wears mask and sunglasses to compete in shot put
Being an Olympian might just be the closest that humans can ever come to being a superhero.
And Team USA shot-putter Raven Saunders has embraced the distinctive look of one superhero in particular.
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Having won a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 edition of the Games, Saunders hoped to go one better this time around at Paris 2024.
Saunders, who uses the pronouns they/them, made it through to the finals of the women's shot put and went for gold on Friday night.
Unfortunately their efforts weren't enough as they finished 11th in the final standings.
At the last Olympics, Saunders stood out for the patterns on their masks, including a Joker design and a Hulk pattern for the final.
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In qualification this time around, fans were delighted as they spotted Saunders sporting a black mask and tinted sunglasses - as well as showing off their half purple, half green dyed hair.
Commentators during qualification had to be corrected after referring to Saunders as 'her', instead of their preferred they/them pronouns.
Saunders also gave the crowds a sneak peek at the gold grills they had installed over their teeth.
These additions all serve to represent Saunders' alter-ego that they channel in their athletics: the Hulk.
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Known for his superhuman strength, the Hulk - a.k.a Bruce Banner - lives as a normal human being, and sometimes as an extremely powerful hero whose powers emerge when he gets angry.
And the 28-year-old athlete once explained there is a very specific reason for invoking the superhero through their distinctive look.
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“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,” in 2021.
“But through my journey, especially dealing with mental health and things like that, I learned how to compartmentalise, 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."
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But the mask also serves a second important purpose, helping to keep Saunders completely focused on the difficult task at hand by minimising the possibility of outside distraction through conversation.
"I like to be my biggest supporter — I really can't repeat [what I say] because y'all are going to have to bleep out most of the things I say anyway," they added.
"But pretty much to sum it up I'm telling myself, 'You got it, you got it, you're a champion, you have to push, you gotta push, nobody is going to give it to you, you have to work, you have to grind, you gotta get it.'
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"Things like that, just a lot of positive affirmations to be able to give myself the power and be able to get done what I need to get done (without others interfering)."
For Saunders, the look is also a sign of the mental strength they have had to display on their journey as an athlete.
Last year, Saunders' mother passed away unexpectedly.
At the same time, they also had a hip surgery to contend with - something that contributed to a crisis which almost made Saunders walk away from shot put.
Having encouraged openness about mental health struggles, Saunders has also been staunch in their support for diversity and equality.
The 'X' symbol they made with their hands on the podium at Tokyo 2020 was a gesture of support for 'the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet', they told .
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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) launched an investigation into the gesture as it had banned athletes from protesting on the podium in Tokyo but Saunders was not punished.
And Saunders has admitted the fight for visibility has spurred them on.
"After a worldwide pandemic, everyone's mental health is completely messed up," they told back in 2021.
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"I don't care if you're green, black, purple, Asian, Hispanic, Latina - everyone has dealt with something.
"So I felt like my message really had a chance to connect with so many different people, and it was something that needed to be said."
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