For U.S. gymnast Suni Lee, winning the all-around gold medal at Tokyo 2020 was a dream come true.
An unexpected burden, too.
The then-18-year-old found herself suddenly thrust into the global spotlight, the next in a long line of Olympic legends to claim the crown including Nadia Comaneci, Nastia Liukin and Simone Biles.
Lee told reporters she had imposter syndrome.
It’s something that’s stuck with her, even as she’s defied all the odds to make it to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 despite a kidney-related illness that a year ago looked to threaten her return trip to the Games.
Teammates Biles and Jordan Chiles could feel the self-doubt, Lee told Olympics.com, encouraging her to own her greatness in a heart-to-heart ahead of Tuesday’s (30 July) women’s team final.
“They were just like, ‘You need to walk out like the reigning Olympic champion,” she told us exclusively. “Because they see it in the gym that I just feel a little bit more nervous or tense.
“I feel like I’ve been trying to channel that a little bit more,” she continued. “It’s definitely showing in my gymnastics.”
Over the last week in Paris, Lee has won three medals, team gold and all-around and uneven bars bronze. Her all-around medal was the first for a reigning Olympic champion since Comaneci took gold in 1976 and following it up with silver in 1980.
Only 12 women, including Biles, own two Olympic all-around medals.
Lee’s six total Olympic medals are currently tied with Aly Raisman for third by an American gymnast. She’ll go for medal number seven – moving to a tie for second place with Shannon Miller – in Monday’s (5 August) balance beam final.
“[I’m] just enjoying every single moment,” she said. “It’s just been really fun.”
