TOKYO GOLD Suni Lee performs a floor exercise at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 4 US gymnast Suni Lee sprinted across the padded floor She raised her arms flipped and launched herself into the air She twisted and turned before landing on her feet Her vault score of 14.600 put her in fourth place
facts AT A GLANCE Date of birth March 9 2003 Position gymnast League USA Gymnastics Professional highlights became a junior member of the US Women’s Artistic Gymnastics National Team at 14 finished second at the 2021 US Olympic Trials won gold silver and bronze medals at the 2021 Olympic Games Personal highlights grew up in St Paul Minnesota practiced gymnastics in her backyard began attending Auburn University in 2021 5
Lee was competing in the individual all-around at the Olympic Games in Tokyo Japan During the contest in July 2021 gymnasts performed in four different events Judges combined the scores from each event to decide a winner On the uneven bars Lee spun from one bar to the other The event was often her best Lee’s 15 300 was the highest uneven bars score Lee on the uneven bars at the 2021 Olympics 6
At important competitions like the Olympics the balance beam is a test of nerves The beam is about 16 feet 4.8 m long and just 4 inches 10 cm wide One wrong step can lead to disaster But Lee’s controlled leaps and flips earned a 13.833 Lee was in first place But her lead was only two-tenths of a point The floor exercise was the final event Lee’s fun and difficult routine earned 13.700 points The score was enough to win the all-around gold medal I didn’t even think I’d ever get here Lee said It doesn’t even feel like I’m in real life 7
