Suni Lee Floats Retirement After China's Yang Beats Her To Performing Original Skill
US' Sunisa Lee competes in the floor exercise event of the artistic gymnastics women's all around ... More final during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris, on August 1, 2024. (Photo by Loic VENANCE / AFP) (Photo by LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images)
Olympic Champion Suni Lee hinted at retirement on Thursday. The six-time Olympic medalist took to X to react after learning of breaking news out of Antalya, Turkey.
China's Yang Fanyuwei became the first gymnast to successfully land one of the most challenging skills in gymnastics: a full-twisting Jaeger on the uneven bars. In a video seen here, Yang caught the skill in Antalya's qualification round on Thursday.
In order for an athlete to 'own' a skill in the FIG Code of Points (COP), the athlete must be the first to perform said-skill in a major international competition. With Yang's successful attempt today, the skill will now take her name in the official COP.
However, roughly a year earlier, many hoped the same skill would be named 'The Lee"– including Suni Lee herself. In 2024, Lee arrived at the U.S. Winter Cup with her biggest trick: the now-infamous full-twisting Jaeger. 'I'm just excited because I think it'll be pretty cool having the skill being named,' Lee told Olympics.com in an interview just prior to the Winter Cup.
Her Coach, Jess Graba, emphasized the emotional value of the skill for Suni. 'The whole reason we're doing Winter Cup is so that we can go to Baku and get the skill named." "Suni really wants to get that out of the way," he added.
Unfortunately, Lee fell on the skill in competition. Despite multiple promising routines in the practice sessions, Lee's low score of 11.800 was not enough to send the Olympic Champion to Azerbaijan. Suni's 'Lee' would have to wait.
While the Olympics were on her mind, Lee was still devastated. In a TikTok comment posted in February 2025, Lee would later reveal that she 'begged' USA Gymnastics to send her to Baku, adding that she 'offered to pay' for her own travel expenses. Nonetheless, Lee and her training team had to refocus on their primary goal: Paris.
Though their goal was successful and Lee left Paris with another trio of medals, she opted to compete an uneven bars routine devoid of 'The Lee.' With the skill still unnamed and unclaimed through the end of 2024, fans hoped Suni would eventually stage a comeback to avenge her skill.
However, with Yang's performance in Turkey, the gymnastics community's hope for a comeback is dwindling. Shortly after Yang's successful attempt was made public, Suni engaged with online users to share her disappointment. 'I'm crying,' Lee commented, responding to a post expressing empathy for Lee.
'Does this kill Suni's chances of coming back?" One fan asked. 'yes,' responded Lee. Though not an official statement, the posts indicate an apparent preference for closing her chapter with competitive gymnastics.
Lee currently ranks as the fourth most decorated American Olympic gymnast of all time and remains the only Asian gymnast to become Olympic All-Around Champion. Regardless of her decision moving forward, the Olympic legend's legacy is undeniable.
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