Suni Lee Nailing Tokyo’s Difficult Routine Has Gymnastics Community Rooting for Gold in Paris Olympics: ‘She Gonna Medal’

“She’s overcome a lot of adversity,” said Alicia Sacramone, USA Gymnastics Women’s Strategy Lead, about the reigning Olympic All-Around champion Suni Lee. And adversity is right—Suni has battled through not one but two kidney diseases, showing her resilience at the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials by confidently nailing her spot on the roster. Looking back at the Tokyo Olympics, 18-year-old Suni Lee from Minnesota emerged as the U.S.’s top contender for gold in the individual all-around when Simone Biles stepped back to focus on her mental health. Lee nailed strong routines across the board and took home the top award in individual gymnastics.

The uneven bars were usually where she truly shined. In a sparkly blue leotard, Lee flipped and twisted from bar to bar with style. She walked off the mat with a smile, looking a bit surprised by her score of 14.500. According to the international gymnastics governing body, “this one didn’t have all the connections she’s known for.” She clinched a coveted bronze medal for the routine. But as the 2024 Paris Olympics approach, Suni Lee is coming back in full form for gold, and her uneven bars routine has once again become the talk of the town.

Suni Lee’s mastery of the bar routine sets high expectations for gold Paris

USA Gymnastics posted a must-see video on their X handle, showcasing Suni Lee’s incredible uneven bars routine from her training in Paris before the Olympics. The caption read, “we’re actually running out of words, @sunisalee_, you are UNREAL 🤩🤯🫠.” The video quickly garnered attention as Lee dazzled with a near-perfect Nabieva routine. This world-class skill, performed by only a few gymnasts, involves swinging around the high bar with a perfectly straight body, passing over the bar backward, and catching it again. The Nabieva, named after Russian gymnast Tatiana Nabieva who first performed it in 2010, is an exceptionally difficult skill requiring the gymnast to release one hand, leaving very little to hold onto. In contrast, Lee connects hers to a release move to the low bar, performing a soaring flip with a full twist known as a Bhardwaj.

Rated a G in the Elite code—the highest difficulty rating for a bar release—Suni Lee not only mastered this routine but has now added even more intricate details to it, ramping up her gold quest for Paris. The Nabieva move, now practiced for the Paris Olympics, symbolizes peak athletic ability on uneven bars. Suni Lee’s incorporation of Nabieva, Bhardwaj, Maloney, and Gienger elements into her routine sets a high bar for her competitors.

Her execution of the Nabieva, along with the sequence that follows, has become a popular skill. Twin City Twisters bars coach Seth Helland notes that very few gymnasts succeed with it in competition. “It is as cool as it gets on bars.” But regardless of the apparatus, Helland said it is one of the prettiest moves that will be done at this year’s Olympics. And the performance of that routine only thrilled the gymternet further in Paris.

Gymnastics enthusiasts rally behind Suni Lee following her impressive Tokyo routine

Suni Lee’s execution of the Nabieva routine ahead of the Paris Olympics has garnered widespread admiration. Three years ago at the Tokyo Olympics, Suni Lee wowed everyone in the all-around final with scores of 14.600 on vault, 15.300 on uneven bars, 13.833 on beam, and 13.700 on floor, ending up with a total of 57.433. She even snagged the bronze medal for her stellar performance. Reflecting on her impressive comeback and the fact that her lashes were long again, one fan said, “The long falsies were reincarnated. She’s gonna medal.”

An enthusiastic supporter exclaimed, “Amazing!! Very hardworking person!! Extremely skilled!!” Given her impressive comeback from kidney disease, fans are confident she’ll deliver a remarkable performance at the Paris Olympics. At the Core Hydration Classic, Lee competed in floor exercise for the first time since the Tokyo Olympics, placing first on the balance beam. At the Xfinity US Gymnastics Championships, she competed with downgraded routines and had a fall on vault, but finished fourth all-around and won a silver medal on beam. She was named to the U.S. National Team and invited to compete at the Olympic trials. Fans are now declaring, “Bar EF Gold!!!! Manifesting! Let’s go Team USA!!!!”

One fan even declared, “Suni Lee, you’re amazing!” because this time she’s brought back a revamped routine featuring a new Nabieva, Bhardwaj, Maloney, Gienger, along with a Jaeger, Pak, and Van Leeuwen, which harks back to her 2021 composition. Lastly, a fan highlighted how, despite missing complex elements like the Bhardwaj and Van Leeuwen (VL) transitions on the bars, her scores show a high level of performance. They stated, “Still my dream composition for Suni during bars final. Even if she missed Bhardwaj+VL and Lee to Pak she is still looking at a 6.7.” 

That response, full of praise and hope, is proof of the impact Lee has had on followers and well-wishers. As she continues to redefine gymnastics, both the community and her fans eagerly anticipate what’s next. Having made history as the first Hmong-American Olympian in 2021, her upcoming performance in Paris only heightens the excitement. What are your thoughts on her flawless routine? Share in the comments below!