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Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2021 22:26:00 GMT
Since gymnast Suni Lee won the Olympic all-around title on July 29, her social media accounts have been buzzing. She now has more than 1.3 million Instagram followers — a three-fold increase from before the Games — which, a few years ago, would have created a million-dollar question for the breakout star of the Tokyo Games. Capitalize on her new-found fame with endorsements or go compete in college?  Instead, Lee won’t have to choose. The three-time Olympic medalist is heading to Auburn and, with new name, image and likeness rules enacted this summer, is part of a large group of Olympic gymnasts who can have what Auburn coach Jeff Graba calls "the best of both worlds." “From the NCAA perspective, we’re going to have some of the brightest lights join our ranks and I think from an individual perspective, it extends their careers,” Graba said. “They can actually still compete in college, they can work their routines around so they can be NCAA competitive but still stay in the lime light.” Nine of the 17 gymnasts who competed at the U.S. Olympic trials will be competing in college this coming school year, including seven of the 10 athletes who went to Tokyo to compete or serve as replacements. Along with Lee, who will be the first Olympic all-around gold medalist to compete in college, the NCAA will welcome Olympic medalists Jade Carey (Oregon State), Jordan Chiles (UCLA) and Grace McCallum (Utah) and U.S. replacement athletes Leanne Wong (Florida), Emma Malabuyo (UCLA) and Kara Eaker (Utah). Kayla DiCello, who was part of the four-person replacement team that traveled to Tokyo in case any members of the top squad were sidelined because of coronavirus concerns, is committed to Florida for 2022. When the elite gymnasts make the transition to college, they are expected to dominate in the gym after competing at the highest level in the sport, but have to adjust to new training and scoring rules. Elite gymnasts typically train for at least 40 hours a week. NCAA rules limit practice to only 20 hours a week. School work is also a high priority. |
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Post by Admin on Aug 6, 2021 20:06:07 GMT
Reunited and it feels so good! Suni Lee got a welcome home greeting she will never forget. The Olympic gymnast saw her family for the first time since returning to the U.S. after her historic run at the Tokyo Games, where she won three medals, including gold for her performance in the individual all-around finals. Suni's parents, John and Yeev Thoj, and her siblings Jonah and Shyenne were all waiting for her in New York City's Rockefeller Center on Thursday's TODAY.
The USA gymnastics team is back in the United States after winning a total of six medals at the Tokyo Olympics.
Suni Lee, the first Hmong American to compete in the Olympics, shared a special moment with her family on the “TODAY” show, seeing them for the first time since her historic gold medal win.
Lee’s father, mother, sister and brother were all in New York City to greet her for her homecoming before heading back to her hometown of St. Paul, Minnesota.
“Amazing, I haven’t seen them in so long,” Lee said. “To see them here with me in New York is absolutely amazing. I feel so proud. I’m so happy to see them.”
Then, in a heartfelt gesture, the 2020 Olympic all-around champion stood up and placed her gold medal around her father’s neck.
“It belongs to him, too, doesn’t it?” said “TODAY” co-anchor Savannah Gutherie.
From a young age, Suni’s father encouraged her interest in gymnastics and even built her a balance beam in their backyard when he couldn’t afford to buy one. Now, sitting with his daughter who accomplished so much on the Olympic stage, he talked about that handmade beam.
“That beam was built out of a piece of wood… I never thought I’d be wearing one of these [gold medals] because of that beam,” he said. “It’s just incredible. I love that beam now.”
Her triumph also carried special resonance in Minnesota’s tight-knit Hmong American community, one of the largest in the U.S. The Hmong community in Minnesota “sacrificed a lot” for her, Lee has previously acknowledged, including fundraisers. And when her family hosted a watch party to see her shining moment, between 300 and 400 people, mostly from the Hmong American community, turned up to sheer for the hometown girl.
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Post by Admin on Aug 8, 2021 21:47:32 GMT
WATCH LIVE: Celebrating Suni Lee
KARE 11 anchor Gia Vang is emceeing a program at Aldrich Arena for Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee. Suni will be joined by her parents, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, Minnesota State Senator Foung Hawj and various other performers and speakers.
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Post by Admin on Aug 10, 2021 14:07:50 GMT
Suni Lee kept the American Gymnastics streak alive by winning gold in the All-Around competition at #Tokyo2020. Brazil's Rebeca Andrade claimed the silver medal followed by ROC's Angelina Melnikova with bronze. Simone Biles, the heavy favourite prior to the start of the Games, did not participate in the final to focus on her mental health. Enjoy the highlights from the Women's All-Around Final! Sunisa Lee 🇺🇸 (57.433) Rebeca Andrade 🇧🇷 (57.298) Angelina Melnikova (ROC) (57.199)  After gymnast Suni Lee took home a gold medal in Tokyo last month, all eyes were on her. Lee, 18, became a favorite of the internet, and onlookers noticed something consistent through her routines: her acrylic nails. They were the work of the Hmong American nail artists at Minneapolis-based Little Luxuries. The salon's owner said the staff had been following Lee, who is also Hmong American, since before the Olympics and had messaged her on Instagram before the trials. Owner Amy Vang and artist Elizabeth Lee said they never expected that an Instagram exchange this summer would land their nails on the global stage. "We didn't think she was going to reply to us," Vang said. "We just thought we would give it a try." Not only did Suni respond; she was at Little Luxuries the next week to get a set of acrylics. Before she left for Tokyo, she came in again. Elizabeth Lee sketched out a design — a plain white set with the colorful Olympic rings painted on one hand and blue and red waves on the other. The two never expected the nails to draw any attention, and Vang said the reaction has been overwhelming. "It was just unbelievable," she said. "We just wanted to give her nice nails." Vang and Elizabeth Lee grew up in nail salons. Living in North Carolina with their Hmong American family, the cousins watched over Vang's mom's shoulders as she painted to perfection. When she had too much on her plate, the girls would even help with small tasks like removing polish. As an adult, Vang realized that she shared that passion, and she wanted to make it hers. So she opened her own place: Little Luxuries Nail Lounge in Minnesota. "Friends of the family would come over, and I would just sit there and polish their nails," Vang said. "I kind of just trained myself." The decision for Suni Lee to keep her nails on during precarious floor and bar routines shocked some people online. But she said they help her grip the bar. In addition, "it's good luck," she said in an interview on Talkin' Tokyo last week. |
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Post by Admin on Aug 14, 2021 19:45:37 GMT
Sunisa Lee wins all-around gold! 🇺🇸 | Tokyo Replays
Suni Lee has kept the American streak alive. Coming into these Games, an American woman has won the women's gymnastics all-around title in each of the last five Olympic Games.
She totaled 57.433 for gold, holding off Brazil's Rebeca Andrade (57.298) and ROC's Angelina Melnikova (57.199). Lee joins U.S. greats Mary Lou Retton (1984), Carly Patterson (2004), Nastia Liukin (2008), Gabby Douglas (2012) and Simone Biles (2016) as the only U.S. women to win the all-around title at the Olympic Games. Lee is the first Hmong American gymnast.
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