US gymnast Suni Lee wins Olympic all-around after injuries, tragedies and a horrific accident Share Updated: 6:32 PM PDT Jul 29, 2021 By Holly Yan, CNN Share Updated: 6:32 PM PDT Jul 29, 2021
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Show Transcript Suni Lee just won the gold medal in the gymnastics all-around after Simone withdrew from the competition. Let’s get into everything that went down, everything you need to know about Suni, and what Simone had to say about her win! If you’ve been keeping up with Olympic gymnastics you know that Simone Biles withdrew from both the team and individual all around competitions to focus on her mental health. Simone was heavily favored to win the individual all-around again and she landed in the number one spot during the qualifying round at the Olympics. But as Simone cheered from the sidelines and prioritized her well-being, her teammate 18 year old Suni Lee came in and stepped up to the challenge. Team USA Gymnastics has
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St. Paul Olympian Sunisa Lee s parents Yeev Thoj, left, and John Lee and other family and friends react as they watch Sunisa Lee clinch the gold medal in the women s Olympic gymnastics all-around at the Tokyo Olympics Thursday, July 29, 2021 in Oakdale, Minn.
Elizabeth Flores - member online, Star Tribune
Shyenne Lee, 18, left foreground, the older sister of St. Paul Olympian Sunisa Lee, reacts alongside Souayee Vang and other family and friends as they watch Sunisa Lee clinch the gold medal in the women s Olympic gymnastics all-around at the Tokyo Olympics Thursday, July 29, 2021 in Oakdale, Minn.
Elizabeth Flores - member online, Star Tribune
Gabby Douglas and
Simone Biles. Lee was also the first Hmong American to keep at an Olympics, and now, the first gold medalist.
In the emotional final, Lee was rock-solid in every outing, outlasting Brazil’s
Rebeca Andrade.
Relive each of Lee’s routines, as well as her virtual interview with her family after winning, below.
Vault
Lee got off to a strong start, besting her 14.333 score from qualifications with a 14.600 on vault. She appeared unfazed when Rebeca Andrade and Jade Carey put up huge scores (15.300 and 15.200).
Uneven bars
In a routine that NBC gymnastics analyst Nastia Liukin said would “define” Lee’s all-around final, she delivered. Lee, an uneven bars specialist, performed the hardest version of her set and matched her big qualification score with another 15.300.
That she did, and dozens of her family and friends gathered early in the morning at a suburban St. Paul event center to watch the gymnastics broadcast from Tokyo.
Sunisa Lee got an opening when reigning Olympic champion Simone Biles withdrew from the all-around competition to focus on her mental health. There was nervous silence at the watch party as Lee turned in a brilliant set on uneven bars, a nervy performance on beam and a well-executed floor exercise.
When Rebeca Andrade of Brazil stepped out of bounds twice during her floor routine, John Lee said, everybody knew his 18-year-old daughter would soon be bedecked in gold.
Simone Biles Had the Terrifying ‘Twisties’ Before Withdrawing From Olympics Competition
“If you are not 100% sure of yourself, and where you are in the air, it can be very dangerous.” Jul 29, 2021
The world was stunned on Tuesday when gold medalist Simone Biles pulled out of the Olympic team gymnastics competition after fumbling her vault. Biles, 24, later explained that she was struggling with a mental performance issue that’s commonly called “the twisties” in gymnastics.
“I just don’t trust myself as much as I used to,” Biles said in a press conference after Team USA took home silver. “I’m a little bit more nervous when I do gymnastics. I feel like I’m also not having as much fun.”