2024-07-28 23:20:01
In her last Olympic Games, Suni Lee won the all-around title gold medal, along with a silver finish in the team competition and a bronze medal in the uneven bars. And in between her three medals, all she did was dominate college gymnastics.
In the years between Lee’s Tokyo Olympics and her upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics showing, Lee finished second in the all-around at the 2022 NCAA championships and first in the balance beam while a member of the Auburn Tigers. She played all of the 2022 season and part of 2023, before ending her season early due to being diagnosed with a kidney issue.
She then didn’t return to Auburn in order to prepare for Paris.
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Over a year later, Lee was then selected for the Olympics alongside Simone Biles, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles and Hezly Rivera after placing second in the all-around, first on uneven bars, fifth on balance beam and seventh on floor exercise at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
Here’s a look back at Lee’s dominance in her lone collegiate season at Auburn:
REQUIRED READING:Former Auburn star Suni Lee earns spot, will represent United States in 2024 Olympics
Suni Lee perfect 10s at Auburn
One of the most difficult feats in gymnastics is the perfect 10, which Lee was able to accomplish a remarkable nine times in fewer than two full seasons at Auburn.
Lee finished the 2022 season with five perfect 10s, three of which came on beam and two of which were on bars. She then finished the 2023 season, which she wasn’t able to finish due to an illness, with four perfect 10s (two on bars, two on beam).
Lee’s first perfect 10 in 2022 was the Tigers’ first perfect 10 as a program in 18 years, according to her Auburn bio. She then proceeded to finish the season with four more perfect 10s, en route to finishing second for the all-around national championship and winning the beam national championship.
In her second and final season with Auburn, Lee recorded four perfect 10s, which came in only eight meets before her season ended prematurely due to her kidney issue.
- 2023: Four perfect 10s (two on bars, two on beam)
- 2022: Five perfect 10s (three on beam, two on bars)
U.S. Olympic gymnastics roster 2024
Here’s the five women’s gymnasts the United States are bringing to the 2024 Paris Olympics:
- Suni Lee (second Olympics)
- Jordan Chiles (second Olympics)
- Jade Carey (second Olympics)
- Simone Biles (third Olympics)
- Hezley Rivera (first Olympics)