Simone Biles Is the Greatest Athlete, but Suni Lee Achieved What Gymnastics GOAT Couldn’t at 21

The gymnastics world was forever changed when six-year-old Simone Biles first stepped into Bannon’s Gymnastix in Houston, Texas. She was on a daycare field trip that was supposed to be a trip to a ranch. The scorching heat and fate forced a change of plans, redirecting the kids to a local gymnastics club instead. Simone, who had always loved bouncing on the furniture at home to her mom Nellie’s exasperation, was instantly captivated. Gymnastics was the perfect outlet for her boundless energy and innate talent.

Little Simone thought she was just playing, but what she didn’t know was that she had caught the eye of coach Aimee Boorman, who would change the course of her life forever. Picture this: Biles on the floor, mimicking older gymnasts, legs extended, bottom hovering. Without prompting, she flipped her legs through her arms and formed a perfect plank—just for fun. Boorman, noticing her incredible musculature and raw talent, knew this kid was something special. “That’s not normal!” she recalled, and she was right!

She started coaching eight-year-old Simone Biles in 2005, and by 2013, Biles had skyrocketed to fame as the U.S. national champion. The prodigy was too young for the 2012 London Olympics when she exploded onto the scene in 2013. But at just 16, she clinched two golds at the Antwerp Championships. Biles continued her meteoric rise with four World Championship golds in both 2014 and 2015, setting the stage for her first Rio Olympics in 2016.

Now, 21 years later, she stands as the most decorated gymnast in history, with ten Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals. She also became the most decorated US Olympic gymnast, surpassing the legendary Shannon Miller. As Simone continues to make history at the Paris Olympics, she has Suni Lee by her side, pushing the boundaries of American gymnastics. Did you know Suni, at just 21, is catching up to legendary status? She’s even accomplished something Simone never did!

Simone Biles flipped her way into gymnastics history book as a teen

According to Olympic.com, at just 19, Simone Biles took the gymnastics world by storm. With four Olympic gold medals in Rio 2016, she set an American record for the most golds in women’s gymnastics at a single Games. Biles became the first quadruple gold medalist in women’s gymnastics since Romania’s Ecaterina Szabo in 1984, joining the ranks of legends like Larisa Latynina, Agnes Keleti, and Věra Čáslavská.

Biles didn’t stop there. She was the first since Lilia Podkopayeva in 1996 to win gold in the all-around and an event final and the first to hold the Olympic, World, and American all-around titles simultaneously since Podkopayeva.

Biles also matched the feat of winning five gymnastics medals at a single Olympics, a club that includes Mary Lou Retton, Shannon Miller, and Nastia Liukin. Alongside her teammate Gabby Douglas, Biles became one of the only American female gymnasts to win both the individual all-around and team gold at the same Olympics. Talk about making history with style and grace! So, how does Suni Lee fit into this star-studded gymnastics saga?

At 21, Suni Lee enters the league of history-makers herself!

Sunisa Lee has already made history as the first Hmong-American Olympian and the first Asian American woman to win the Olympic all-around title. For Suni, winning the all-around gold at Tokyo 2020 was a dream come true and an unexpected whirlwind. At just 18, she found herself catapulted into the global spotlight, joining the elite company of Olympic legends like Nadia Comaneci, Nastia Liukin, and Simone Biles.

Fast forward to the ongoing Paris Olympics, and Suni is on fire, bagging three medals in just one week: team gold, all-around bronze, and uneven bars bronze. Her all-around medal marked the first for a reigning Olympic champion since Comaneci’s gold in 1976 and silver in 1980. Only 12 women, including Biles, boast two Olympic all-around medals.

With six Olympic medals, Lee is tied with Aly Raisman for the third-most among American gymnasts. But hold on, there’s more! Her medal tally at 21 is already more than Simone Biles had at the same age. Biles clinched her 6th and 7th Olympic medals in Tokyo 2021 at age 24, with a team silver and a balance beam bronze. Suni is gunning for her seventh medal in the balance beam final, aiming to tie with Shannon Miller for second place, just behind Simone Biles!

The fact that Suni Lee has battled two kidney diseases to achieve this distinction at just 21 is nothing short of incredible. We can’t wait to see what’s next for her! Reflecting on the epic journeys of Simone Biles and Suni Lee—two all-around medalists and teammates—what are your thoughts on their legendary legacies in gymnastics? Share your thoughts in the comments below!