Olympic gymnast Suni Lee described the “pressure” and “tension in the room” after she fell from the balance beam at the Paris Olympics on August 5, and said it was “crazy” that so many people were “going down like that,” according to CNN.
“It was a lot of pressure. It was just crazy to see how everybody was going down like that,” Lee said, according to CNN, after she fell on the beam. “You could feel the tension in the room. The crowd shushing us for cheering. We didn’t like that as it was just so silent in there. I love hearing my teammates cheer for me.” CNN reported that Lee’s fellow Olympian, Simone Biles, also raised concerns about the “shushing” from the audience after she also fell from the beam.
GettySuni Lee in Paris.
As a result of the falls, neither Lee nor Biles received medals for the balance beam event, according to Olympics.com, with Lee placing 6th on the event behind Biles’ 5th place. However, Lee leaves Paris with three Olympic medals overall, Olympics.com reported, adding that she won a gold medal in the team event and two bronze medals in the all-around and uneven bar competitions.
Suni Lee falls off the balance beam in her final event at the 2024 Olympics. She will leave Paris with three medals: gold in in the team final, bronze in the all-around and bronze on bars, bringing her Olympic total to six medals. #WarEagle
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported that Lee had been hoping to medal in the balance beam competition, saying before Paris, “I need a beam gold because I feel like I always make the final and then I always mess up.” However, on August 5, Lee “fell off the balance beam at the end of a tricky tumbling pass,” the Star-Tribune reported.
Suni Lee Triumphed Over Kidney Diseases to Get to Paris
GettySuni Lee.
According to Olympics.com, Lee’s medal in Paris “seemed nearly impossible 18 months ago as the 21-year-old dealt with two kidney-related illnesses that ended her sophomore season at Auburn University early and ruled her out of international competition in 2023.”
In a 2023 post on X, Lee discussed her health issues.
“It’s been challenging to end my Auburn career early, but I am thankful for all of the love and support,” she wrote of her college career. “I will not stop pursuing my dreams for a bid to Paris in 2024. In fact, this experience has sharpened my vision for the future. I appreciate all the love and support, and I want to especially thank my doctors, coaches, and the Auburn medical staff for their care during this time. War eagle forever.”
Despite the fall on the balance beam, Lee considered the Olympics a success.
“I think there’s a lot of things to be proud of this time around, just because I had to overcome so much,” she told reporters, according to Olympics.com.
“All the medals mean something super special to me,” said Lee to Olympics.com. “I’m really happy with how it went.”
Suni Lee Credited Simone Biles & Jordan Chiles With Helping Reduce Her Nerves
GettySuni Lee.
Olympics.com reported that Lee received encouragement from Biles and U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles during the Olympic games.
“They were just like, ‘You need to walk out like the reigning Olympic champion,” she told Olympics.com. “Because they see it in the gym that I just feel a little bit more nervous or tense.
“I feel like I’ve been trying to channel that a little bit more,” she continued to the site. “It’s definitely showing in my gymnastics.” Lee told Olympics.com that she was just enjoying every single moment,” she said. “It’s just been really fun.”
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Gymnast Suni Lee Says It Was ‘Crazy’ So Many People Went ‘Down’ at Olympics: Report