Raven Saunders, a nonbinary American shot put athlete, has been suspended for 30 months for violating anti-doping rules. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced that Saunders failed to meet the reporting requirement on three occasions within a 12-month period. The nonbinary and lesbian athlete finished as the silver medalist in the women’s shot put event at Tokyo 2021. According to USADA, Saunders accepted the penalty.
Saunders already served an 18-month suspension from August 2022 to February 2024 for violations of the reporting requirement. As a result, the punishment now stands harsher than usual, USADA noted. The new ban begins retroactively on December 26, 2024, the date of the third violation.
Saunders drew attention at the Paris Summer Games last year when the athlete appeared in a black mask and mirrored sunglasses during the qualifying rounds. In German media, Saunders was dubbed the “Maskenfrau.” Three years earlier at the Tokyo Olympics, Saunders wore a Hulk mask during the competition.
The 29-year-old individual used the extravagant outfits not to seek attention for themselves, but to highlight groups that are oppressed in society, including Black people, people with mental health challenges, and the LGBTQI+-community. Because of a gesture in support of marginalized groups, the IOC opened an investigation following the 2021 Olympic victory, according to TheColu.mn. In the end, Saunders did not receive any penalty.
