Who is Sunisa Lee, gold medalist in Olympic gymnastics all-around?
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By Michelle Ewing, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
TOKYO — Following Simone Biles’ withdrawal from Thursday’s individual all-around final at the Tokyo Olympics, all eyes were on teammate Sunisa Lee, who turned in stellar performances on all four apparatuses to win the gold medal.
Photos: Sunisa Lee wins gold in Olympic gymnastics all-around Sunisa Lee, of United States, reacts as she poses for a picture after winning the gold medal in the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Photos: Sunisa Lee wins gold in Olympic gymnastics all-around Gold medalist Sunisa Lee of the United States displays her medal for the artistic gymnastics women's all-around at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Photos: Sunisa Lee wins gold in Olympic gymnastics all-around From left to right, silver medallist Brazil's Rebeca Andrade, Gold medallist Sunisa Lee of the Unites States, and bronze medallist Angelina Melnikova, of the Russian Olympic Committee, celebrate during the medal ceremony for the artistic gymnastics women's all-around at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Photos: Sunisa Lee wins gold in Olympic gymnastics all-around Sunisa Lee, of the United States, embraces teammate Jade Carey after winning the gold medal in the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Photos: Sunisa Lee wins gold in Olympic gymnastics all-around From left, United States gymnast Grace McCallum, Jordan Chiles, Simone Biles and MyKayla Skinner stands for their national anthem as teammate Sunisa Lee receives the gold medal for the artistic gymnastics women's all-around at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Photos: Sunisa Lee wins gold in Olympic gymnastics all-around Sunisa Lee, of the United States, performs on the floor during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Photos: Sunisa Lee wins gold in Olympic gymnastics all-around Sunisa Lee, of the United States, performs on the balance beam during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Photos: Sunisa Lee wins gold in Olympic gymnastics all-around Sunisa Lee, of the United States, embraces her coach Jess Graba after performing on the uneven bars during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Photos: Sunisa Lee wins gold in Olympic gymnastics all-around Sunisa Lee, of the United States, finishes on the uneven bars during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Photos: Sunisa Lee wins gold in Olympic gymnastics all-around Sunisa Lee, of the United States, performs on the vault during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
1. She’s the first Hmong American athlete to compete in the Olympic games.
The St. Paul-based gymnast’s parents were just children when their families sought refuge in Thailand after fleeing Laos during the Vietnam War, the Star Tribune reported. They later relocated to Minnesota.
“You have the child of a refugee representing the United States of America, so not only representing America, but bringing the spotlight to the Hmong community,” Lee Pao Xiong, director of Concordia University’s Center for Hmong Studies, told The Associated Press. “Even for her to be so proud to say, ‘I’m doing this for my community, I’m doing this for my people,’ she didn’t forget her Hmongness.”
2. She’s the fifth American in a row to win the Olympic women’s gymnastics all-around title.
The last four winners were Biles in 2016, Gabby Douglas in 2012, Nastia Liukin in 2008 and Carly Patterson in 2004, NBC Sports reported.
3. Lee is also slated to compete in next week’s uneven bars and balance beam finals.
In the qualifying round Sunday, she posted the second-highest score on bars (15.2) and the third-highest score on beam (14.2), according to NBC Sports.
Team USA describes her bars routine as “the most difficult ... in the world.”
4. Lee has overcome several hardships to make it to the Games.
A year after a fall off a ladder left her father, John Lee, paralyzed, her aunt and uncle died from COVID-19 complications in 2020, according to Olympics.com. At one point, Lee, who also recently recovered from a broken foot, thought she might quit gymnastics, the AP reported.
“Right now, I’m just trying to compete for everybody, for the Hmong community, my dad and my family,” she said in a May interview with Olympics.com. “I want them to be proud of me.”
5. Her next stop is Auburn University.
Lee announced last fall that she had signed with the school.
“I’m officially a Tiger!!” Lee wrote in a Nov. 10 Instagram post. “A special thank you to my family and coaches for everything they’ve done for me. My parents, for giving up everything for me and being my biggest supporters through everything. My coaches, for pushing me to be the best athlete I can be and teaching to never give up on my dreams. Can’t wait to be a part of the Auburn family.”
Photos: Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey compete in Olympic gymnastics all-around Sunisa Lee, of the United States, right, embraces teammate Jade Carey after her performance on the uneven bars during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Photos: Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey compete in Olympic gymnastics all-around Sunisa Lee of Team United States competes on balance beam during the Women's All-Around Final on day six of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on July 29, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Photos: Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey compete in Olympic gymnastics all-around Jade Carey, of the United States, performs on the balance beam during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Photos: Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey compete in Olympic gymnastics all-around Sunisa Lee, of the United States, performs on the uneven bars during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Photos: Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey compete in Olympic gymnastics all-around Jade Carey, of the United States, performs on the uneven bars during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Photos: Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey compete in Olympic gymnastics all-around Sunisa Lee, of the United States, performs on the vault during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Photos: Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey compete in Olympic gymnastics all-around Sunisa Lee, of the United States, performs on the vault during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Photos: Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey compete in Olympic gymnastics all-around Jade Carey, of the United States, performs on the vault during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Photos: Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey compete in Olympic gymnastics all-around Jade Carey, of the United States, performs on the vault during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Photos: Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey compete in Olympic gymnastics all-around From front left, United States gymnast Grace McCallum, Jordan Chiles, Simone Biles and MyKayla Skinner sit on the stands during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Photos: Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey compete in Olympic gymnastics all-around Sunisa Lee, of the United States, performs on the balance beam during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (Morry Gash/AP)
Photos: Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey compete in Olympic gymnastics all-around Sunisa Lee, of the United States, performs on the balance beam during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (Gregory Bull/AP)
Photos: Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey compete in Olympic gymnastics all-around Sunisa Lee, of the United States, reacts after getting her score on the floor performs on the during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (Morry Gash/AP)
Photos: Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey compete in Olympic gymnastics all-around Sunisa Lee, of the United States, performs on the balance beam during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (Natacha Pisarenko/AP)
Photos: Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey compete in Olympic gymnastics all-around Sunisa Lee, of the United States, performs on the floor during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (Natacha Pisarenko/AP)
Photos: Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey compete in Olympic gymnastics all-around Jade Carey, of the United States, performs on the balance beam during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (Gregory Bull/AP)
Photos: Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey compete in Olympic gymnastics all-around Jade Carey, of the United States, falls off the balance beam during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (Ashley Landis/AP)
Photos: Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey compete in Olympic gymnastics all-around Sunisa Lee, of the United States, stands with teammate Jade Carey after the former won the gold medal in the artistic gymnastics women's all-around at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (Gregory Bull/AP)
Photos: Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey compete in Olympic gymnastics all-around Jade Carey, of the United States, performs on the floor during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (Ashley Landis/AP)
Photos: Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey compete in Olympic gymnastics all-around Jade Carey, of the United States, performs on the balance beam during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo. (Morry Gash/AP)