"I got really emotional and I started crying"- When Suni Lee's 'biggest dream' came true at Tokyo Olympics 2020

America's artistic gymnastics sensation, Suni Lee, was in awe when her dream of standing on an Olympic podium came to life. In 2020, the then 17-year-old athlete shed light on the same and uncovered the raw emotions behind the title win.

Lee grabbed the headlines during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when she secured a gold, a silver, and a bronze in the all-around, team, and uneven bars, respectively. However, before her appearance in the Tokyo Summer Games, Suni Lee had already established herself as a skilled gymnast, having won a team gold, a silver in floor exercise, and a bronze in uneven bars at the 2019 World Championships.

In a conversation with Olympics.com, Lee revealed that participating in the Olympics was her ultimate goal, but she was also aware of the fact that winning a title wasn't a straightforward feat. Her aspirations got the platform at the U.S. Olympic trials in 2021, where she made it to the US Olympic team after her second-place finish in the all-around event.

When she reached Tokyo for the competitions, it was then that those emotions hit her. Reflecting on her sentiments, Lee stated:

"When I saw the Olympic rings in the water, I got really emotional and I started crying, I was like, ‘I'm actually at the Olympics right now. This is insane."

Apart from winning three medals at the latter competitions Suni Lee also achieved other feats like becoming the first Hmong-American to participate and win an Olympic title. She was also the first American female athlete of Asian descent to win an Olympic all-around title.

Suni Lee's views on her US Classic participation

2024 Core Hydration Classic

Lee took a hiatus from the sport due to a kidney condition and was focused on building that much-needed confidence as she geared up for her participation in the second consecutive Olympics.

To put her preparations to the test the Saint Paul-born gymnast participated in the US Classic. Sharing her views on the competitions Lee said,

"It was really important for me to go out there and fight to fight those demons. These competitions have been helping me build my confidence up."

The gymnast completed three events and secured a total score of 40.75, which helped her secure an all-around ticket to the 2024 US National Championships. If Lee manages to live up to the fans' expectations at the Nationals, then she will confirm her place in the US Olympic trials, followed by the Paris Olympics 2024.