suni lee gymnastics father

Even though John was seriously injured, he urged his daughter Suni not to let it affect her and backed her to chase her dreams byparticipatingin the National Championships. He basically just told me to go out there and do what I normally do not too much, and not too little, she said via USA Today, because what Ive been doing has been working obviously.. Lee is considered to have the most difficult uneven bars routine in the world, which starts with her 6.7 difficulty score. Not only did Suni Lee compete at the event but alsowent on to be placed second in the all-around and first on uneven bars which put her in serious contention in the ongoing Tokyo Olympics. And in 2019, John suffered an injury of his own, falling off a ladder and becoming paralyzed from the chest down, CBS Minnesota reports. "I was thinking of my dad the whole time, and to do it for him because I knew that he would be so proud," she said, according to Olympics.com. Lee achieved what countless gymnastics have aimed to do make the Olympic team. Olympic gold medalist Sunisa Suni Lee became Americas hero when she took home the top honor in the gymnastics all-around competition at the 2021 Games in Tokyo. just in time for the meet pic.twitter.com/SNf6NjOFe6. Ahead of her women's gymnastics final match, here's how 18-year-old Suni Lee's father John helped her daughter realise her dreams by overcoming all odds, < What happened to Suni Lee's dad? Suni Lee, an 18-year-old Team USA gymnast from Minnesota, just took home the gold medal for the women's gymnastics all-around at the Tokyo Olympics. Below, find everything you need to know about the new women's gymnastics all-around champion. And when it did, it was like everything hit all at one time.. Suni Lee's uneven bars routine is just next level. Gymnastics Championships", "Biles debuts unprecedented Yurchenko double pike vault en route to fifth GK U.S. Classic title", "Peacock Lays Out Olympics "Destination" With Live Shows, Five New Channels, Original Programming", "Biles wins seventh national all-around championship, most in U.S. women's gymnastics history", "Biles locks up spot on Olympic gymnastics team", "Suni Lee going to Tokyo Olympics after rare win over Simone Biles on Sunday at US gymnastics qualifying", "Meet the U.S. Women's Olympic Gymnastics Team for Tokyo", "U.S. women qualify to Olympic team competition final behind top-three all-around performances by Biles, Lee", "ROC wins women's team gold medal, ending Team USA's decade long reign", "American Sunisa Lee Wins the Olympic Women's Gymnastics All-Around Gold", "Sunisa Lee wins gold in gymnastics all-around in Tokyo Olympics", "Sunisa Lee's dream Olympics continue with unlikely bronze medal in uneven bars", "Simone Biles Wins Bronze in Her Only Tokyo Olympics Individual Event, Sunisa Lee Takes Fifth", "St. Paul mayor declares Sunisa Lee Day in honor of Olympic champion", "No. Prior to the Olympic trials, her father told Elle that it would be the greatest accomplishment of any Hmong person in the U.S. ever.. But shes in a very different spot now, a favorite for the Olympic team. "She almost didn't go because I was in surgery. According to reports, Suni's father fell off of a ladder while helping a friend trim a tree on Aug. 4, 2019, just one day before the then-Olympic hopeful left for the national championships. But Lees dad encouraged her to go to the competition, and just before she stepped onto the mat, they talked over FaceTime, where the proud pop told her to keep her focus and remember to have fun. Lee earned a spot in the all-around contest after placing third in the qualifying event but she wasnt expected to take home the gold while competing beside the GOAT, Simone Biles. She goes to the gym and she practices but we dont have a beam here. On Aug. 4, 2019, just before Suni Lee left for the national championships, John Lee fell off a ladder while helping a friend trim a tree. [40] The Stuttgart World Cup was later canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Just before her uncle died from the virus, she was only able to say goodbye over Zoom. The U.S. gymnastics championships, the first step toward securing a spot on the Tokyo Olympic team, yes. The 8 Coolest Places to Travel in 2023, According to Some of Our Fave Celebrity Jet-Setters. The 18-year-old talks about dad's support throughout her career. Lee injured his spinal cord and broke several bones and ribs when he fell off a ladder while helping trim a tree at a. Lee used some of a teenager's most valuable real estate her Instagram bio to add a link to a gofundme page for her dad. [30], At the 2019 GK US Classic, Lee opted to only compete bars and beam, where she placed second and tied for eighth, respectively. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, gold-medal gymnastics champion Sunisa Suni Lee, Ex-Tokyo Olympics official, ad execs arrested in bid-rigging scandal, Olympic track star accused in massive cheating conspiracy, US gymnastics star reveals how she has fought through imposter syndrome, Star boxer is fighting the norm, showing younger generations to never back down, Daily updated medal counts, full schedule and results, athlete bios and more. Leading up to the Opening Ceremony, were highlighting 23 athletes in 23 days. The fall resulted in John's spinal cord being injured, paralyzing him from the chest down. In late January, it was announced that Lee would compete at the Stuttgart World Cup taking place in March. [3] She was a member of the teams that won gold at the 2019 World Championships and silver at the 2020 Summer Olympics. thank you for always being my number 1 supporter & my bestfriend. Her aunt and unclewith whom she was very close; they babysat her as a kidboth died of Covid less than two weeks apart. Lee also won the all-around with a score of 39.825. The following day she was named to the team to compete at the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart alongside Biles, Kara Eaker, MyKayla Skinner, Jade Carey, and Grace McCallum. In Stuttgart, Germany, she beamed when she talked of being able to FaceTime with her father, who was still at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, ahead of qualifying. I really do want to go to college and do college gymnastics. Team USA's Suni Lee won gold Thursday in the women's individual all-around gymnastics final, defending the title despite the absence of the team's reigning champion, Simone Biles. He broke his right wrist and several ribs, but worst of all . Lee considers John to be her father, and she began using his surname professionally as a teenager. It hasnt been an easy road to Tokyo for Suni Lee, whos overcome a number of obstacles to secure a spot on Team USAs womens gymnastics team as the squads top qualifier only behind superstar Simone Biles. [20] There, she won the gold medal with the U.S. team in the team final and won the silver medal on vault, balance beam, and floor exercise. Now, not only is Lee an Olympian, but she became the first Hmong American to make a U.S. Olympic team, which was a personal goal of hers. But at a large watch party, dozens of Lee's friends and family members jumped for joy and cheered when she won the gold. Im already not, like, a normal teenager; I dont go to football games and all that stuff. Required fields are marked *. She earned a gold with Team USA, a silver in floor exercises, and a bronze on the uneven bars. Also named to the team were Jordan Chiles and Grace McCallum. Lee's path to the U.S. Championships has been filled with adversity. [14] In January 2022, she responded in the comment section of a TikTok video about facing racial comments from her own Hmong-American community for expressing her interracial relationship with USC Trojans football player Jaylin Smith.[15]. [51], At the Olympic Games, Lee performed the all-around during qualifications and helped the USA qualify to the team final in second place behind the Russian Olympic Committee. Her dad gave Simone a shout-out after his daughter's win, telling the newsshow, "I want to tell Simone that she truly is the GOAT because she let my baby girl bring the gold medal. All Rights Reserved. [72], tenth most decorated American female gymnast, 2018 Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships, History of the Hmong in MinneapolisSaint Paul, "Suni Lee's gold medal Olympics moment is America at its best (let's not ruin it)", "Gymnast Sunisa Lee's Gold Medal Elates Her Hometown Hmong Community", "Meet Suni Lee, USA's uneven bars specialist and the first Hmong American Olympic gymnast", "As Gymnast Sunisa Lee Wins Gold, Her Hometown Hmong Community Has Her Back", "St. Paul Hmong-American gymnast leaps toward her Olympic dream and history", "This Gymnast hasn't turn off her Olympic Countdown", "Olympic hopeful Sunisa Lee gets a big boost from father's presence at U.S. gymnastics championships", "St. Paul Olympian Sunisa Lee one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people of 2021", "Olympic gold medallist says she was pepper sprayed in racist attack", "Meet Suni Lee's Boyfriend Jaylin SmithSome Of Her Fans Are Angry He's Black", "USA Gymnastics announces women's spring international assignments as national team camp winds down", "U.S. When discussing these tragedies, Lee said, "I am tougher because of it. Lee was captured in a leap at the 2019 World Championships. "I just told her, 'Go out there, just go have fun, dont worry about anything, just enjoy,' " John Lee said. Suni Lee decided to go to nationals later that year and finished second in the all-around competition to Biles. [7] She qualified for elite at age 11. [7] From six to 12 years old, Lee was trained by Punnarith Koy at Midwest Gymnastics. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. She is the sixth American champion in the event following Mary Lou Retton, Carly Patterson, Nastia Liukin, Gabby Douglas, and Simone Biles,[54][55] and the first Asian champion of any nationality. Lee and Jade Carey handily carried the torch after. Although she fell again on balance beam, her score on uneven bars (14.733) was the third highest of the day, as was her score on floor exercise (14.233). She placed second on beam and fifth on bars after falling off twice. Their first score of 37 was given after their Foxtrot ( Video ). The Minnesota native has previously talked about her father being a source of inspiration in her gymnastics career, especially following his 2019 accident. July 30, 2021 / 7:19 AM Since then, Lee's won quite a few medals including three at the 2019 World Championship. Just days after her father's devastating accident, Suni Lee made her senior debut at the US gymnastics championships - competing in honor of her father. Two years later,Simone Bileswitnessed her teammate's special bond with her father firsthand at the 2020 Olympics. And if shes managed to post the second best all-around scores at both nationals and the trials while battling injury, imagine what she can do when healthy. The road to Tokyo has been anything but easy for Lee, who, along with battling foot injuries, has had to endure some personal tragedies in her life. So were re-publishing this post from earlier in the month. "Hi, Mr. Lee, it's Simone. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. But he told me to go, that he really wanted me to go. John Lee works at Cummins in Minnesota as a product application engineer. [4][5] With six world championship and Olympic medals, she is tied with Gabby Douglas, Kim Zmeskal, Kyla Ross, and Rebecca Bross as the tenth most decorated American female gymnast. Heres everything you need to know about Team USAs newest golden girl. While Lee makes it look easy, shes been battling a pesky ankle injury that stemmed as a result of a broken foot she suffered back in June 2020, shortly after returning to the gym amid the COVID-19 pandemic. By 2018, shed won the gold medal at the National Championships on the uneven bars her best event and a year later, came within four-tenths of a point of beating Biles at the US World Championships selection camp. [66], On April 3, 2023, it was announced that Lee had to end her final season early due to a non-gymnastics related kidney condition. Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift. Lee is now not only the first Hmong-American to represent the U.S. in the Olympic Games, but also to win gold. That just came naturally. The father of six had supported Lee's gymnastics from the beginning - helping her perform tricks around the house, sometimes to the frustration of . Check out the hottest fashion, photos, movies and TV shows! Initially, Lee's coach thought she should not compete, as a distracted gymnast can be a danger to themselves. However, Sunis dad John is not her biological father. Olympic gold medalist Sunisa Lee has announced she will end her college career at Auburn early due to a kidney issue. [63] On February 25, in a meet against Kentucky, Lee earned her first perfect ten on the balance beam and became the first collegiate gymnast to perform a Nabieva on the uneven bars. It would be cool to show that we are more than what they say.. Keep reading to find out more. The gold medal came after years of hard work and overcoming injuries. [7] At age eight, she moved up three levels. She began pursuing the sport at age 6 after watching videos on YouTube. John's accident happened just before national championships in Kansas City. Her Inner Circle Is Not Surprised, Summer Houses Lindsay Hubbard and Carl Radke React to Scandoval: Crazy, Inside Hannah Godwin, Dylan Barbour's Wedding: Bachelor Nation Guest List, Where 'Love Is Blind' Couple Lauren Speed, Cameron Hamilton Stand Today, Paris Hilton's Son's 'Over-the-Top' Nursery: Details on $1M Baby's Room. She uncharacteristically failed to connect several elements and scored a 14.500; despite this, she won the bronze medal. According to reports, Suni's father fell off of a ladder while helping a friend trim a tree on Aug. 4, 2019, just one day before the then-Olympic hopeful left for the national championships. Her father John Lee had suffered a near-fatal accident in the year 2019. Annie Goldsmith is the news writer for Town & Country, where she covers culture, politics, style, and the British royal family. Up next up is Suni Lee. [38][39] The following day, she competed in the floor final and won the silver medal behind Biles. Lee is now headed into the individual event rounds with two medals under her belt. Additionally, she advanced to the uneven bars final in second place behind Nina Derwael and the balance beam final in third behind Guan Chenchen and Tang Xijing. Did you see the movie with Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino? We know *exactly* which destinations are going to be hot this year because we asked our favorite globe . I just didnt want to see myself fall back, she said. A St. Paul gymnast is dedicating her Olympic dreams to her dad. Suni Lee and her father, John, have always shared a special bond. She earned a score of 39.700 to help Auburn win the meet; Lee won the all-around title outright and co-won the titles on the uneven bars and balance beam. During the qualification round at the World Championships, Lee helped the USA qualify to the team final in first place, over five points ahead of second place China. Right now, Im just trying to compete for everybody, for the Hmong community, my dad and my family, Lee said, via Olympics.com. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. When she was 2 years old, Yeev met John Lee, a recently divorced dad with two children, and began dating him, according to an ESPN interview with the family. Suni Lee dedicates Gymnastics to her father Dad recently suffered a spinal injury after a fall. Before competing in the high-pressure meet, the 18-year-old got a pep talk from her father, John Lee. ", "Lee dominates competition in Auburn Gymnastics' season opener", "Suni Lee Announces She's Ending Her College Gymnastics Career Early Due to a Kidney Condition", "Road to Nationals - NCAA Gymnastics Rankings", "JoJo Siwa, Olympic gymnast Suni Lee join season 30 of, "Olympic gold medalist Sunisa Lee joins cast of 'Dancing with the Stars', "DWTS: Suni Lee and Melora Hardin Eliminated in Semifinal Round Ahead of Season 30 Finale", "2021 Athlete of the Year: Olympic Gold Medalist Suni Lee", "Auburn's Suni Lee named SEC Freshman of the Year; Derrian Gobourne named Co-Specialist of the Year", "Auburn gymnastics star, Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee nominated for multiple 2022 ESPY awards", "St. Paul's Suni Lee wins national Sportswoman of the Year award", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sunisa_Lee&oldid=1149328290, Reverse grip swing to piked salto forwards to catch high bar, Laid out salto from high bar to low bar with full twist, Toe-on to counter reversed laid out hecht over high bar, Laid out salto backwards with legs together (to two feet), 1080 (3/1) turn in tuck stand on one leg, Switch leap to ring position (180 split with raised back leg), Double-twisting (2/1) double tucked salto backwards, This page was last edited on 11 April 2023, at 14:52.

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