Suni Lee has added to her medal count at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal on the uneven bars.
Lee went last during the uneven bars final on Sunday night. The routine went smoothly, and the entire stadium erupted in cheers when she landed her dismount.
She smiled after her score came up, a 14.800, but seemingly did not realize she had won a medal. When she finally realized, she couldn’t stop smiling.
Throughout her career, Lee has always excelled on uneven bars, but her struggle with kidney disease kept her from competing on uneven bars for most of this year. After the final, she told reporters she was happy with the results because a few months ago she “didn’t think this was a possibility.”
“I really believed in myself because when I put my mind to something I really can believe that I can achieve it,” Lee said.
Last Olympics, Lee also won the bronze medal on uneven bars but told reporters that she feels like she really earned it this time.
“I told myself this time that even if I don’t make the podium or medal, I’m gonna be happy with whatever I get if I do the routine that I was supposed to do, and that’s why I feel like I’m so much more happy,” she said.
Kaylia Nemour of Algeria won the gold, and Qiu Qiyuan of China won the silver. Lee was full of praise for Nemour, telling reporters she wanted her to win.
“It was incredible. Watching her on bars is like watching a feather,” Lee said.
Lee will compete in the beam finals alongside teammate Simone Biles on Monday. She says she’s hoping she can deliver another great performance.
“Every single time I make it into a beam final I never really prove what I can do. So this time around I want to just prove to myself that I can do it,” Lee said.
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