Xfinity Championships: Suni Lee Overcomes Kidney Diseases To Begin Her Path To Defend Olympic Gymnastics Title

After a memorable performance in Hartford last week, Suni Lee is all set to extend the triumph. The US Olympic trial ticket for securing a place in the national gymnastics team is going to be determined at the Xfinity US Gymnastics Championships. In a piece of news that is sure to bring much elation to the enthusiasts, reigning Olympic champion Suni Lee has earned the approval to perform in the all-around event. As per the tweet from USA Gymnastics, the petition she kept before the authority was approved.

The Xfinity US Gymnastics Championships will be Suni Lee’s first all-around competition after February 24, 2023. She was in her sophomore year at Auburn University back then. The reigning Olympic all-around champion had to distance herself from the gymnastics mat because of her kidney disease for the larger part of these last 14 months. She had to end her collegiate career at Auburn University abruptly. Alongside, she also missed a spot on the U.S. team for the 2023 World Championships. However, now when she is showing signs of returning to her usual self, things are going on her side. This is visible in availing the petition, where she and her coach Jess Graba have carried out things mindfully. 

Moving to this year, Suni Lee has taken part in two gymnastics competitions – the Winter Cup and the Core Hydration Classic 2024. In those contests, the 21-year-old did not participate in all four events. Ultimately, that helped her approve her petition to perform in the all-around competition in the upcoming Xfinity US Gymnastics Championships. As per the rules set by the US Gymnastics in the elite form of the sport, “No petitions will be considered for athletes obtaining an all-around score at a Classic competition.” Fortunately, Suni Lee did not have that all-around score in her two appearances in the Classic tournaments. The same thing was echoed in Jess Graba’s statement after Suni’s chance of going head-on in the all-around in Fort Worth. 

The Auburn coach said, “I think we’ll be all right in the all-around. We couldn’t do the all-around [here] just because of the petition process, right? So we had to choose one [event to skip], and we haven’t done a floor routine in a while.” The veteran coach pointed toward Suni Lee’s Core Hydration Classic performance where the gymnast went on with three routines (vault, balance beam, and floor exercise), letting go of the bars event. Coincidentally, the same rule of petition has put a question mark on the possibility of Gabby Douglas’ all-around performance in the Xfinity Championships. 

Unlike Suni Lee, the 2012 Olympics all-around champion had earned her all-around score in the American Classic this year in April. So despite scratching out after her bars event in the Core Hydration Classic, she isn’t eligible to apply for the petition to perform in all-around events in Fort Worth this month. But now, as things are settling down for Suni Lee after her previous year’s turmoil, the gymnast is slowly but steadily counting her steps. 

Suni Lee banks on the process of setting things in places 

Suni Lee’s ailing kidney disease left a dent in her confidence, which she regained slowly but steadily. And that was only possible through continuous participation. While Suni Lee was improving her health, she was adamant about initiating her practice to keep that touch alive.

“Healthwise, I’m doing really good right now. I’m in remission, so I’m feeling really good, and taking my time in the gym has been feeling amazing. All of my skills are coming back and I’m just working on consistency,” Lee had told last month at the Team USA Media Summit in New York City. The result was there. A determined Suni stepped into the Winter Cup. Despite falls in the routines, a long face was missing. Rather, the firm chin raised the chance to see her again. So what she has been focusing on for all these months?

“I’ve been doing a lot of extra strength training on the side, so I’ve been getting a lot stronger and all of my tumbling and my vault has been coming back pretty easily,” Suni had explained. Interestingly, the Minnesota Vikings’ NFL team has been one of her helping hands in this journey. “They’ve been helping me with my cardio, my strength, just helping me get strong overall. They also help with my nutrition,” She had revealed.

In Core Hydration Classic, she was there with her top position in the beam event (14.600), points ahead of the legend Simone Biles. Therefore, when asked about the role of her entrance in the elite contests, she said, “It was really important for me to go out there and fight to fight those demons, these competitions have been helping me build my confidence up.” But Suni is someone who believes in a slow but steady process. 

That led to her asserting, “I don’t want to peak too early. It feels normal. I feel like I’m going at a good pace.” After the Core Hydration Classic, things are looking positive now for her at the right moment. And Suni wants to use that moment to prove a point in the Parisian arena.

“…in the back of my head I think, ‘Oh, you didn’t deserve to win.’ And I told myself that so much because of the circumstances… This time is more [about] proving it to myself and proving that I deserve to be on the Olympic team… Not so much like I need to go out there and win it again, like I need to prove (something to) these people that told me that I didn’t deserve to win,” Suni had conceded. Seems like the champion in her is back, ready to reclaim the throne!