Sunisa Lee, the only American gymnast to qualify for Sunday’s uneven bars final, earned the chance to compete in Paris after a frightening year.
Lee, now 21, entered the Tokyo Olympics as a strong contender for a gold medal on uneven bars, and perhaps silver in the all-around, behind Simone Biles.
But when Biles’s late withdrawal created a spot, Lee capitalized with a strong, steady performance to win the all-around gold, the most coveted title in gymnastics.
By the time the Olympic trials ended in June, Lee was the second-best all-around gymnast competing, behind only Biles.
In pursuit of that uneven bars title, Lee has been training a difficult skill that no gymnast has competed before, taking a release move called a Jaeger and adding a full twist.
Persons:
Sunisa Lee, Lee, Simone Biles, Qiu Qiyuan
Organizations:
Tokyo, Auburn University, Sports
Locations:
Paris, China, Algeria