“If Simone hadn’t pulled out, she’d have won.” This was the haunting narrative that disturbed Suni Lee after the Tokyo Olympics. The Tokyo Olympics was a cursed outing for Team USA’s female gymnastics unit. Not only did they fail to win the gold medal as a unit, but they also remained witnesses to a couple of disturbing incidents. Firstly, the star performer of Team USA, Simone Biles, bowed out of the Olympics. In a shocking turn of events, Biles faced a major difficulty during her landing, as it was later revealed that she suffered from twisties. This compelled her to pull out of the games, which opened the gates for other gymnasts to capitalize. 

Suni Lee was one such gymnast who did not miss out on the opportunity. Making full use of Biles’ absence, Lee elevated her game and took some humongous strides to win the all-around gold. Now, normally, an Olympic gold medalist is expected to get a hero’s reception. Unfortunately, that was not the case with Lee. Since her victory, criticism has flooded its way, demeaning Lee’s accomplishments. And while she barely made it through, the demons of the past came back to haunt the reigning Olympic champion in Paris. Luckily, she had Simone Biles to take care of the situation. 

Suni Lee found solace in Simone Biles 

Coming into Paris, Lee had significant stress. Keeping aside the pressure of the Olympics, she also had to prove her haters wrong. Lee must perform well in order to prove that her Tokyo triumph was not a fluke. Quite unexpectedly, the pressure started getting on Lee’s nerves. The night before the finals, Lee gave in and was on the verge of a mental breakdown. But then she remembered something. She had a certain Simone Biles on her team to whom she could reach out for help. 

Apparently, this might seem quite like a straightforward business. But remember, Paris was Biles’ redemption attempt. Plagued by constant scathing criticism, Biles worked hard to claw her way back and was desperately focusing on the kill. Thus, walking up to the G.O.A.T. at an odd hour required quite a lot of courage. Garnering all her champion mentality, Lee knocked on the doors of Biles and narrated her disturbed state of mind. 

Known for motherly love and instincts towards her teammates, Biles was once again preaching some valuable advice to Lee. Asking her to take pride in who she was, Biles stated, “You need to walk around like you’re the reigning Olympic champion, and you need to own it. You need to remind yourself that you’re good enough, and you are on this team for a reason.” And just like that, Lee’s problems were solved. Taking inspiration from Biles’ words, Lee went on to boss the uneven bars. Securing Team USA’s highest uneven bars score, Lee ensured that her team went all the way to reclaim the gold.

Lee also continued her pretty run at the French capital in the individual events. Competing in the all-around and uneven bars event, Suni Lee secured two more bronze medals, taking her total tally for this year to 3. Thus, it can be safely assumed that Biles lit up the inner spark within Lee that led her to prove her quality as a gymnast at the highest sporting platform. However, despite her triumphant outing in Paris, a look back at her struggles post-Tokyo will leave a somber impact on her fans’ minds. 

Sunisa Lee’s sad state of affairs post-Tokyo

Suni Lee’s jubilation ended within hours of winning the gold medal. While she was attacked viciously by the fans who termed her undeserving of the gold, the worst soon followed suit. Weeks after the gold medal ceremony, Lee was diagnosed with a complex kidney disease. Such a diagnosis made her world fall apart before her own eyes. Fearing the worst, doctors advised Suni Lee to take a break from gymnastics. They even advised her not to step foot inside the gymnasium again.

Tormented by the words, Lee had no other option than to opt for treatment. Sitting out of her most loved sport, Lee began a tiringly long process of healing. Resorting to a lot of specialists, Lee soon started to get back her rhythm slowly. However, she was far from being declared a match-fit. Lee revealed having difficulty putting on her shoes due to her swollen feet. Gradually, with continued medication and monitoring, Suni Lee managed to come back to gymnastics. 

To make things worse, MyKayla Skinner, who is an ex-teammate of Lee, indirectly took a jab at the Olympic gold medalist. Skinner stated that apart from Simone Biles, other gymnasts en route to Paris lacked depth and did not have enough work ethics. These statements, too, affected Lee’s confidence significantly. However, as always, it was once again the G.O.A.T. who swooped up Lee from the jaws of negativity and put her back on the path of light.