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Gymnast Suni Lee has been planning a comeback since she started recovering from her kidney issues. After a stellar performance at the 2024 American Classic, Lee went back to the gym, gracing the balance beam.
In March 2023, the Tokyo Olympic all-around gold medalist was diagnosed with a kidney-related issue, which plagued her 2023 competitive season. It led to a premature exit from the NCAA Gymnastics career. 2022-2023 was her last Auburn University season since the Paris Olympics 2024 was her ultimate goal.
Returning to the mat, Suni Lee competed at the 2023 US Classic. She recorded 13.500 on the vault and scored 14.500 on the balance beam, enough to secure a place in the US Gymnastics Championships roster.
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Posting a bronze on the beam made her a favorite for the World Championships line-up, but she missed out due to health-related troubles. Her American Classic performances ensued from the missed podiums at the 2024 Winter Cup. A total of 27.550, 13.250 on full-twisting Yurchenko, and 14.300 on the balance beam earned her a place at the US Championships scheduled for May.
Training for that, Suni Lee social media story reads:
"good morning"
Active on social media during rough days as well, the 21-year-old always posts videos of her gymnastic progression. In an interview, she said:
“It’s kind of been hard because my stamina is just not fully there yet. We’re just working on getting my stamina up and, then, cleaning everything up.”
Lee aimed to get the full-twisting Jaegar skill in the vault named after her. Since she couldn't achieve it yet, the 2024 Summer Games will be a good opportunity for the same.
Suni Lee is working toward achieving her vault maneuver
Lee has been on slow progression since her rare kidney issues didn't let her push limits. Coach Jess Graba is helping her figure out the uneven bars composition, which Lee releases glimpses of in her social media handles.
Speaking with Olympics.com about her vault training, Lee said:
“Vault is actually coming back really well. I’ve been doing a lot of extra strength training on the side, so I’ve been getting a lot stronger and all of my tumbling and my vault has been coming back pretty easily.”
Additionally, Suni Lee time with the Minnesota Vikings' NFL team is solving her problems surrounding strength and cardio. Hailing from Minnesota, the 21-year-old will vie for the all-around gold at the Paris Olympics, to maintain her Olympic winning streak.
