"This is shameful and disgusting," "The fact that his co-host said that on air" - Fans divided as host misgenders Raven Saunders at the Paris Olympics

By Janhavi Shinde

Modified Aug 08, 2024 12:30 GMT

A commentator misgendering shot putter Raven Saunders during the qualification round of the women’s event at the 2024 Paris Olympics has sparked outrage from fans. The American silver medalist from Tokyo 2020 has qualified for the finals at this year's Games as well.

Saunders, who uses they/them as their pronouns, recorded a distance of 19.79m at the previous edition of the quadrennial showdown, held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

During the Paris Olympics' qualification round on August 8, 2024, a commentator was heard referring to Saunders as "her," stating, "It's good to see her back." His co-host corrected him, saying, "They are actually non-binary." The on-air correction from the co-host drew mixed reactions from fans, with one on X criticizing it as "shameful and disgusting."

The post they were replying to questioned Saunders' participation in the women's category, referring to the commentating incident as "gender madness."

"More gender madness at the Olympics in the women’s shot put (...) If they’re not a woman, why are they in the women’s competition?"

"The fact that his co-host said that on air..." another fan said.

One of the fans took a jab at Saunders, hinting at their non-binary identity being overlooked only because they were competing in the women's category at the highest level.

"Non binary except when they want to play at the highest level," they said.

"Anyone supporting this madness is opening the doors for much more to come. Why do we now bother with women’s sports when this continues," a fan said.

"Then why is "they" participating in a women's event," another said.

Notably, Saunders is often seen donning a mask and goggles while competing, a practice that began during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when athletes were required to follow the COVID-19 precautionary measures.

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Raven Saunders reveals the reason behind wearing a mask while competing

Raven Saunders continues to wear a mask and goggles after finding it useful to avoid the pre-competition conversations and stay focused.

Raven Saunders during the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.. (Photo by Getty Images)

In an interview with Sporting News, the thrower opened up on the practice.

"I like to be my biggest supporter," they said. "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.' 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."

During the qualification round in Paris, Saunders donned a black mask with a goggle, covering their whole face. They will be seen competing in the final round after earning the qualification with a throw of 18.62m.