Athletes competing for medals at the Olympics have differing ways of celebrating their triumph. While most of them beat their fist in the air or jump in ecstasy on qualifying for the subsequent rounds or achieving victory, United States Shot Putter Raven Saunders had a peculiar style of celebrations that have raised many eyebrows.
Saunders secured second place in the women’s shot put tournament at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, and she marked her victory by twerking in front of the camera. After winning a silver medal in the shot put tournament at the Tokyo Olympics, Saunders was seen sashaying in front of the camera, before breaking into twerk.
https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1422351554435297284?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwHer sheer power in the shot put category was evident with her win being a finishing distance of 19.79 meters, second to China’s Lijiao Gong. However, Saunders’s second throw was regarded to be even farther, possibly enough to challenge for gold if not for a foul called for stepping outside of the circle.
Nevertheless, Saunders appeared ecstatic at bagging the silver medal, celebrating her victory by twerking in front of the cameras. The Olympics broadcast quickly aired pulled the camera away after realising what Saunders was doing after winning the silver medal. Besides twerking, Saunders is also known for her idiosyncratic demeanour—wearing technicolour sunglasses, purple and green hair and an Incredible Hulk facemask.
Needless to say, Saunder’s twerking created quite a flutter on the internet, with reactions pouring in from a large number of social media users.
One user was sardonic in criticising Saunders for twerking on camera. In a sarcastic jibe, the user said “nothing screams oppression better than multicoloured hair guy twerking on live TV”.
https://twitter.com/BenFaley/status/1422394057347805185?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwAnother concerned American on Twitter remarked that twerking on live TV in a country that clucks over chewing food in public has made the United States a laughing stock.
https://twitter.com/paulsites1/status/1422356289741524995?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwYet another Twitter user was quite snarky in commenting that what Saunders did on live TV could not be compared to twerking.
https://twitter.com/73easting/status/1422352707029975042?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwThere were numerous others who did not take kindly to the gesture.
https://twitter.com/OTime1990/status/1422397428171517985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw https://twitter.com/AGreencards/status/1422354733541568513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw https://twitter.com/BellaRainie/status/1422263093254623242?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw https://twitter.com/sandyleevincent/status/1422381309402533890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw https://twitter.com/IBAConservative/status/1422363228357730306?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwWhile her twerking was seemingly censored, Saunders continued her theatrics when she was called upon the podium to receive her medal. Raising her arms above her head as she crossed her wrists to form an “X,” the 25-year-old shot put player told the media that the gesture symbolized “the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet”.