Posted on 07/29/2021 8:18:37 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
American Sunisa Lee became the new Olympic women’s all-around champion Thursday, following the stunning departure of her fellow Team USA teammate from the competition.
Lee scored 57.433 to finish ahead of Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, who got second-place, and Russia’s Angelina Melnikova, who got third.
Her victory extended the United States’ domination of the all-around event following Olympic gold medal champions Carly Patterson in 2004, Nastia Liukin in 2008, Gabby Douglas in 2012, and Simone Biles in 2016.
“Coming into this competition I didn’t even think I could be competing for a gold medal,” Lee said afterward. “I was competing for a silver medal.”
The 18-year-old from St. Paul, Minnesota, provided a 13.700 to hold off the remainder of the field. “It doesn’t feel like real life,” Lee said. “I haven’t even let it sink in yet.”
But after Biles departed the competition after citing pressure and an inability to focus during her routines. She also decided to step down from the American team competition and was replaced by teammate Jade Carey.
Before the medal ceremony, Lee—who was born to Hmong immigrants from Laos—said she called her family. The Hmong people are an ethnic group from Southeast Asia who fought alongside the United States during the Vietnam War, with many fleeing to the United States as refugees in recent decades.
“We were all just crying on the phone,” Lee said. “It was very, very surreal moment. I am super proud of them. My parents are just the most amazing people in my life. I love them so much.”
Twenty-four-year-old Biles, the winner of every all-around competition she entered since 2013, threw the fight for the Olympic gold wide open when she decided not to defend her Rio Games all-around title.
She had already dropped out of the team event on Tuesday after one poor vault, citing the need to focus on her mental health.
“Going into this meet I feel like there was a lot of pressure on me because I have been second to her (Biles) the whole season basically,” said Lee. “So I knew that people were kind of counting on me to either get second or win the gold medal. I tried not to focus on that because I knew that I would get too nervous.”
As the marks flashed on the scoreboard and Lee’s victory was confirmed, her teammates in the stands leapt and cheered.
“It just means a lot to me to have all of them here cheering for me,” said Lee. “It sucks that I can’t have Simone on the floor with me but just to even have her in the arena was very helpful because she is an inspiration to me that I look up to. Having her there helped me a lot.”
Oooh, I bet the Russkies are P O’d.
This young woman rose to the task at hand.
Give her all of the Quitter Biles endorsement deals.
RE: I bet the Russkies are P O’d.
They didn’t even win silver.
RE: Give her all of the Quitter Biles endorsement deals.
Biles will endorse some other products ( e.g. mental health products ). You can count on it.
Who got silver?
Did Romania just fall off the face of the Earth in gymnastics? They used to be so dominant.
It looks like the author got lost halfway through this sentence.
He should have dropped the first two words. I wonder what he thought he was going to say?
-PJ
That would be a big penalty.
Brazil ?
Aww so pretty! And I think she benefitted from being a bit under the radar. As all athletes should and do.
Congrats to her.
It just goes to show, migrating to the US legally, opens the door of opportunity to achieve your dreams.
Watching women’s gymnastics and beach volleyball is what my old Catholic priests would call “a near occasion of sin.” It’s hard not to look at . . . well, I’ll leave it at that.
RE: Who got silver?
Brazil
RE: It just goes to show, migrating to the US legally, opens the door of opportunity to achieve your dreams.
The great thing about the United States is we get the best people in the world who want to become Americans. Unfortunately, we also tend to get the worst in the world.
A gymnast from Brazil.
The look on Biles face in the stands said it all. And this story is incorrect. The “teammates” didn’t “jump up and down” in the stands. Guess who sat and politely clapped?
Canada and Mexico tied 1-1 in the 80th minute of the Gold Cup Semi, winner plays the US. Would be something if it’s Canada.
And her gymnastics is pretty too. Very artistic and graceful yet enormously difficult. Laurie Hernandez, former gymnast and one of the best of the world in beam, said Suni does skills on that beam that even she would never dare attempt to do.
Simone Biles is clearly a once in a generation kind of gymnast but it does seem that America as a whole is in its own league in the sport.
Now if only women’s figure skating can get back on track!
A lady from 🇧🇷 Brazil.
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