Who was that masked person?
It was Raven Saunders , of course - the theatrical American shot put standout who uses the pronouns they and them and brings their own distinctive style to every meet they attend.
Saunders was throwing Thursday at the Olympics, wearing a full-faced black mask and bronze sunglasses and their hair dyed neon green on one side and purple on the other. Saunders refers to this as the "Hulk" look, one that helps them feel like a superhero getting ready to hurl that 8.8-pound hunk of metal.
After scratching on their first throw, they recorded 17.93 meters on their second and 18.62 on their final to secure a spot for Friday's final.
Saunders won a silver medal at the Tokyo Games and, at the ceremony, crossed their arms and formed an "X" with their wrists.
