American aiming to upgrade silver they won in TokyoSaunders says mask helps maintain focus
Raven Saunders made a splash during the shot put qualification at the Paris Olympics on Thursday as the American attempts to upgrade from their silver medal at the Tokyo Games.
Saunders – who uses they/them pronouns – wore a full-face black mask and sunglasses as they attempted to make the final. Saunders uses their “Hulk” alter-ego when competing to deal with the stress that comes with elite-level sport. They say they identify with the superhero’s difficult road towards controlling his strength and power.