US shot putter raised her arms to protest oppression on the Tokyo Olympics podium in a possible rules breach

• Team USA's Raven Saunders lifted her arms into an X after winning silver at the Tokyo Olympics.
• Saunders said she wanted to represent 'the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet.'
• Though protesting on the podium is banned, Saunders won't be punished

Olympic shotputter Raven Saunders held her arms in an X to protest oppression after winning silver at the Tokyo Games.

The Team USA athlete said she was representing "the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet."

Saunders, who is Black and gay, has suffered from mental health issues and said she wanted to shine a light on "people all around the world who are fighting and don't have the platform to speak up for themselves."

She said: "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 said.

The 25-year-old finished behind China's Gong Lijiao, while New Zealand's Valerie Adams completed the podium places.

Before the games began, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) relaxed a rule on protests but podium gestures are still banned.

The IOC said it was "looking into" the gesture but the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee said it had conducted its own review into Saunders' "peaceful expression in support of racial and social justice" and decided it did not violate its rules.

It added that it was governed by the rules set out by the IOC and the International Sports Federations.