'I wanted to end it off the right way': Exclusive chat with Suni Lee after winning bronze
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The United States women’s gymnastics team has seen a lot of Olympic wins in its history, with this year's summer games being no different. Two of the team's gymnasts placed on the podium Thursday in the all-around competition with Simone Biles winning gold and Suni Lee winning bronze.
The all-around champion at the Tokyo Olympics, Lee finished with the bronze medal in Paris. It’s the first time in history that two Olympic champions have been on the same podium. Biles won the all-around at the 2016 Rio Games and an American has won the women’s all-around championship for six consecutive Games.
Lee spoke with KXAN's Jala Washington after securing the medal, saying she didn't even expect to make the podium Thursday.
"Going into my floor routine, I kind of thought that it was already over," Lee explained. "I already thought that I wasn't in the running. So I just told myself to go out there and have fun. Let loose. Enjoy the moment, and I wanted to end it off the right way."
Lee also told Washington she was working on learning to trust herself and that her confidence has grown, especially having secured two Olympic medals so far in the Paris games.
"I'd say my confidence in myself, and also my trust in myself, has shot up a lot just because I've done a lot to get here mentally and physically. And I feel like everything is just putting itself into its place basically," Lee said.
The women's gymnastics team has seen a large audience for their competitions, including the Team USA men's basketball team, and several celebrities like Snoop Dogg, who has somewhat taken on the role of the face of NBC's Olympic coverage, Ariana Grande, Martha Stewart, Tony Hawk, and many more.
Lee said that adds another layer to the competition, compared to when she competed in Tokyo since there wasn't a crowd allowed during those games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It's absolutely insane. I mean, coming from Tokyo, like we weren't able to have a crowd. And it just felt like nobody was watching. So you never realize how many people actually pay attention to the sport of gymnastics," Lee said. "But yesterday was I mean, insane. I mean, this whole week really seeing all these celebrities coming. It just means a lot that they want to watch some gymnastics and also support us. But yeah, it's been so cool. I literally go on my Instagram and I'm shocked every time."
Suni Lee’s all-around competition scores
- Vault: 13.933 (7th)
- Uneven Bars: 14.866 (2nd)
- Balance Beam: 14.000 (8th)
- Floor Exercise: 13.666 (4th)
Lee — who needed to complete the “routine of her lifetime” to medal, according to former Olympian Laurie Hernandez, who was calling the event on NBC’s broadcast — landed a 13.666 score on the floor. That guaranteed her a medal before Biles even touched the floor.
Apparatus finals begin Saturday and go through Monday.