In 2023, Suni Lee had multiple kidney disease diagnoses, possibly threatening her career. Just over one year later, she has made an astonishing comeback, winning three medals at the Paris Olympics.
On Sunday, the 21-year-old gymnast competed in women’s uneven bars. Lee edged out Belgium’s Nina Derwael — who won the gold medal in uneven bars at the 2020 Tokyo Games — finishing with a score of 14.800 and winning the bronze medal.
Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour won gold with a score of 15.700 while China’s Qiu Qiyuan earned silver with a score of 15.500.
Lee won gold in the all-around final at the Tokyo Olympics, but this medal is more meaningful in some ways. Lee’s coach, Jess Graba, admitted he had reservations about her competing in the Paris Olympics. Not only was Graba worried about Lee’s health problems, but he also felt that a poor showing might hurt her legacy.
“She had everything to lose coming back,” Graba told USA Today’s Nancy Armour. “There was nothing really for her to prove, except to herself. So I felt relieved because I wanted her to feel proud. … I could care less about everybody else’s opinion of how she did. It’s more about peace of mind. And that’s what she had today.”
According to Armour, Lee noted detractors claimed that her all-around gold didn’t count since Simone Biles pulled out of the competition due to a case of “the Twisties.” In Paris, she’s silencing her doubters and showing she is also an incredible gymnast who deserves praise.
Lee has won six Olympic medals, tying her with Aly Raisman as the third-most decorated American gymnast. She can win another medal in the beam final on Monday.