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2nd August 2021
03:12pm BST

The USOPC said Saunders' gesture did not breach its rules, but Reuters reports the IOC are investigating a potential breach of its rules.
[caption id="attachment_283042" align="alignnone" width="2048"]
Raven Saunders made a "X" shape with her hands as she collected her shot put silver medal.[/caption]
Throughout the games Saunders has sported a multi-coloured shaved head and worn face masks with different comic book characters on such as the Hulk and the Joker.
https://twitter.com/NBCOlympics/status/1421668494991663104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1421668494991663104%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-21218013733018416135.ampproject.net%2F2107170150000%2Fframe.html
But she has also spoken out about her struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts, and the need for LGBTQ+ individuals like herself to embrace talking about mental health.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CSBZoYPrbZ3/?utm_source=ig_embed
A similar gesture was then made by US fencer Race Imboden as he collected his bronze medal at a different venue.
Imboden had a X with a circle around it drawn on his hand, a symbol that had not been present whilst he was competing.
It remains to be seen whether the pair will be punished for the gestures. The punishments that they could face include having their medals strupped or being barred from future competition.Explore more on these topics: