US shot-putter Raven Saunders is at risk of punishment after making an X shape gesture on the podium at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The 25-year-old Saunders finished with a silver medal in the women’s shot put, throwing 19.79 metres to place behind China’s Gong Lijiao, who managed 20.58m. Two-time Olympic champion Valerie Adams was third with 19.62m.

Whilst on the podium, Saunders, who is black and gay, formed an X with her wrists as she raised her arms above her head. With podium demonstrations prohibited at Tokyo 2020, the International Olympic Committee confirmed it was "looking into" the incident.

What does the X gesture mean?

Saunders, who paid tribute to her "communities" after the silver medal, has said the X shape represents "the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet."

"I really think that my generation really don’t care," Saunders said. "At the end of the day, we really don’t care. Shout out to all my black people. Shout out to all my LGBTQ community. Shout out to all my people dealing with mental health.

"At the end of the day, we understand it’s bigger than us and it’s bigger than the powers that be. We understand that there’s so many people that are looking up to us, that are looking to see if we say something or if we speak up for them."

Saunders added that she wanted her silver medal and podium demonstration to help "people all around the world who are fighting and don’t have the platform to speak up for themselves".

Why could Raven Saunders be punished for the X gesture?

The IOC last month relaxed Rule 50, which stated "no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas."

Athletes were granted permission to demonstrate – including raising a fist or taking the knee – at specific times and in certain areas before competing at the Games. This has seen a number of teams in the women’s football tournament take the knee as a demonstration against racial injustice.

Athletes are still prohibited from demonstrating on the podium at Tokyo 2020, however, which is what Saunders is considered to have done. It is not known whether the American will be punished or what her punishment will be – the IOC has not outlined potential penalties for those who break Rule 50.

American athletes Race Imboden and Gwen Berry were put on a 12 month probation by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee when they staged podium protests at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima.

After USOPC was criticised for this stance during the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement last year, the organisation revealed it would stand by athletes who staged podium demonstrations at Tokyo 2020. As such, Saunders is unlikely to be punished by her National Olympic Committee.