A BBC host was corrected live on air after repeatedly using incorrect pronouns while introducing American shot putter Raven Saunders during the Paris Olympics 2024.
Raven Saunders, 28, identifies as non-binary and uses the pronouns “they/them.” On Thursday, they participated in the women’s shot put qualifying round at the Paris Olympics. Saunders, who previously won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, sported a mask covering their face, with hair dyed green and purple to match their Hulk persona.
BBC Olympics commentator Steve Backley consistently referred to Saunders as “her” during Thursday’s women’s shot put qualifying coverage at Stade de France in Paris, according to Deadline.
“The colorful character of Raven Saunders back. Good to see her back, sort of. Sort of see her, I mean,” Backley remarked, referring to Saunders’s mask that hid much of their face.
Backley’s co-host, Jazmin Sawyers, corrected him live on air for misgendering the non-binary American athlete.
“Well we can’t see them very well. Raven Saunders is actually non-binary and wearing the mask there, we’re quite used to seeing them with interesting attire,” Sawyers responded.
An Ongoing Issue
The incident rapidly gained traction on social media, fueling a broad discussion about gender identity at the Paris Olympics.
Some users expressed concerns about the participation of a non-binary athlete in a women’s competition.
“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?” asked X user James Esses. His post garnered an impressive 6.3 million views on X.
Watch Here:
More gender madness at the Olympics in the women’s shot put. The host introduces Raven Saunders, saying “it’s good to see her back”.
He is promptly corrected by his co-host, saying “they are actually non-binary”.
If they’re not a woman, why are they in the women’s competition? pic.twitter.com/i0FFHyAWKX
— James Esses (@JamesEsses) August 8, 2024
“I’m okay with them identifying as non-binary and competing as a woman, as long as they are genetically a woman,” another user replied.
This incident follows closely after Algerian boxer Imane Khelif found herself at the center of a gender controversy following her match with Italy’s Angela Carini. Khelif was disqualified from last year’s world championships due to failing gender eligibility tests but has been cleared to compete in the boxing events at the Paris Games 2024.
