Suni Lee has taken home a gold medal for Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics!
On Thursday (July 29), the 18-year-old gymnast gave it her all in the women’s individual all-around gymnastics final. Lee got off to a good start by scoring 14.600 in the vault portion of the competition. In a stunning performance on uneven bars, she dominated her routine by scoring 15.300 — the best score for a routine with the highest degree of difficulty.
On the balance beam, Lee scored a 13.833, which placed her in the overall lead. To take home the gold, she earned a 13.733 with her floor routine. Her gold-medal winning score tallied up to 57.433. Brazalian gymnast Rebeca Andrade placed second with 57.298 and Russian gymnast Angelina Melnikova placed third with 57.199.
Lee becomes the first Hmong American to win a gold medal at the Olympics. The win is a celebration not only for the Asian American community, but for her family as well. Her journey to the Olympics was certainly not an easy one. Throughout the past two years, she has experienced injuries, loss, and trauma after an accident that left her father paralyzed.
In the press conference following the event, the Olympic gold-medalist mentioned the difficulties she has gone through. “There was a point in time where I wanted to quit and I just didn’t think I would ever get here, including injuries and stuff,” she continues. “This medal would not be possible without my coaches, the medical team, my parents, and it’s so surreal. I haven’t even let it sink in yet.”
Lee said she felt an increasing amount of pressure after her teammate, Simone Biles, withdrew from the final due to mental health concerns. However, she directed her focus to herself and her capabilities. Her Team USA teammates, including Biles, cheered her on in the stands. Biles even posted an Instagram story celebrating with Lee back at the Olympic Village.
Back in Oakdale, Minnesota, many of Lee’s family, friends, and fans gathered in a hall to watch the final on a big screen. As reported on Twitter by KARE 11 anchor Gia Vang, we could see videos of the crowd cheering her on after every event.
When her official gold-medal winning score was announced, the room erupted with cheers, applause, and tears. Vang caught the moment on video — focusing on her parents’ reactions.
She did it. @sunisalee_ is the queen of the women’s gymnastics all-around finals and her parents. OMG. Tears every where. 🥺 #Gold #TokyoOlympics #hmong pic.twitter.com/n2xM7VJOPq
— Gia Vang (@Gia_Vang) July 29, 2021
In an emotional post to Instagram, Lee shared photos taken of herself and her family and friends back in Minnesota. She captioned it, “the people I do it all for, I LOVE YOU.”
View this post on Instagram
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