2024 Olympics: Why Suni Lee Was in "Shock" Over Scoring Bronze Medal
Suni Lee is completely floored by her 2024 Paris Olympics milestone.
That’s because the 21-year-old didn't expect to win any medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics women's gymnastics all-around final.
So when the Team USA athlete's floor routine score flipped her from fourth to third place in the Aug. 1 individual competition to earn the bronze, she was stunned.
"It felt absolutely amazing. I was in shock," Lee told Today Aug. 2. "I didn't think that I was going to be able to podium."
The gymnast continued, "Coming in my floor routine, I literally told myself, we're just going to end it off the right way and I'm just going to do everything that I can to just finish it off, because being here is an accomplishment itself."
Her teammate Simone Biles, the decorated American gymnast of all-time, took home the gold medal in the final, while Brazil's Rebeca Andrade won silver.
"I honestly started getting a little bit emotional," Lee recalled about her realization that she had won bronze, which marked her fifth Olympic medal. "I almost started tearing up. I was just like so happy."
Suni Lee is completely floored by her 2024 Paris Olympics milestone.
That’s because the 21-year-old didn't expect to win any medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics women's gymnastics all-around final.
So when the Team USA athlete's floor routine score flipped her from fourth to third place in the Aug. 1 individual competition to earn the bronze, she was stunned.
"It felt absolutely amazing. I was in shock," Lee told Today Aug. 2. "I didn't think that I was going to be able to podium."
The gymnast continued, "Coming in my floor routine, I literally told myself, we're just going to end it off the right way and I'm just going to do everything that I can to just finish it off, because being here is an accomplishment itself."
Her teammate Simone Biles, the decorated American gymnast of all-time, took home the gold medal in the final, while Brazil's Rebeca Andrade won silver.
"I honestly started getting a little bit emotional," Lee recalled about her realization that she had won bronze, which marked her fifth Olympic medal. "I almost started tearing up. I was just like so happy."
Biles and Lee had also helped Team USA earn gold at the team all-around final July 30. The two are set to compete individually again in the coming days—both in the balance beam finals, while Biles is also set to perform in the vault and floor exercise contests while Lee qualified for the uneven bars event.
Biles and Lee had also helped Team USA earn gold at the team all-around final July 30. The two are set to compete individually again in the coming days—both in the balance beam finals, while Biles is also set to perform in the vault and floor exercise contests while Lee qualified for the uneven bars event.
Lee, who won a gold medal at the individual all-around event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021, made it to Paris amid a health battle. Last year, she was diagnosed with two kidney diseases, which caused her symptoms such as water retention, which made her gain more than 40 pounds.
Lee, who won a gold medal at the individual all-around event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021, made it to Paris amid a health battle. Last year, she was diagnosed with two kidney diseases, which caused her symptoms such as water retention, which made her gain more than 40 pounds.
"Having to go through everything that I went through, but making it to here has just been amazing," Lee told NBC News. "I love my medal."
Lee had also reflected on her health battle in June at the U.S. Olympic trials, where she qualified for her second Olympic Games. "I'm so thankful," she told the crowd before bursting into tears, "because a year ago, I didn't even think this was possible."
(E!, Today and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Read on to see candid moments from the 2024 Olympics...
"Having to go through everything that I went through, but making it to here has just been amazing," Lee told NBC News. "I love my medal."
Lee had also reflected on her health battle in June at the U.S. Olympic trials, where she qualified for her second Olympic Games. "I'm so thankful," she told the crowd before bursting into tears, "because a year ago, I didn't even think this was possible."
(E!, Today and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Read on to see candid moments from the 2024 Olympics...
Canada's Wyatt Sanford took quite the punch from Uzbekistan's Ruslan Abdullaev.
LeBron James proved once again he knows his way towards a slum dunk.
Kim Yeji of Team Republic of Korea was busy prepping during the Women's 10m Air Pistol Final.
Egypt's Omar Assar leapt for the ball during an intense game of table tennis.
Cassandre Beaugrand of Team France was excited (and exhausted!) after winning gold in the women's individual triathlon.
Team Brazil's Rebeca Andrade and Team USA's Simone Biles and Suni Lee posed for a selfie during the Gymnastics Women's All-Around Final medal ceremony.
Nigeria's Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah jumped for the ball during her match against France.
Men's foil windsurfing embraced the wind as they raced to the finish.
For Simone Biles, the limit to greatness does not exist.
Caroline Marks of Team USA surfed her way closer to a medal.
Suni Lee's balance beam routine was captured from a bird's eye view.
Gold medalist Jiayu Yang of China lapped compatriot Hong Liu.
France's Florent Manaudou had a cheeky greeting for the crowd.
French cyclist Anthony Jeanjean lost his shoe during a fall at the men's BMX freestyle park final. The Olympian went on to brush off his tumble and snagged the bronze medal with his second run.
Diving practice never looked so fun.
Team USA's Katie Ledecky was ecstatic after winning gold in the women's 1500m freestyle final.
Japan's Shinnosuke Oka held his nation's flag behind him as he celebrated earning the men's all-around individual gold medal.
Men's individual triathalon athletes dove into the newly cleansed Seine River.
Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix and Lois Toulson from Great Britain were perfectly in tune with each other.
Felix Dolci of Team Canada sent the crowd a heart after he redid his high bar performance following a fall due to a broken grip.
Cassandre Beaugrand of France crossed the finish line for the women's triathalon.
The U.S. women's rugby team celebrated the country's first ever medal in the sport with their bronze win.
Argentina's Jose Torres Gil went all in during his BMX freestyle performance.
Team China's Yawen Deng gave quite the performance during the BMX freestyle competition.
Everyone was impressed by Team Germany's ability to get some air.
Marjorie Delassus of France was locked in during her canoe slalom semifinal competition.
Simone Biles and her teammates cheered on after their victory.
Italy's epee team couldn't contain their excitement after besting France in their gold medal bout.
Greece's Theodoros Tselidis and United Arab Emirates' Aram Grigorian faced off in the judo 90-kg competition.
Leon Marchand of Team France gave a whole new meaning to "green eyes" while competing in the Men's 200m Breaststroke Semifinals.
Canada's Wyatt Sanford took quite the punch from Uzbekistan's Ruslan Abdullaev.
LeBron James proved once again he knows his way towards a slum dunk.
Kim Yeji of Team Republic of Korea was busy prepping during the Women's 10m Air Pistol Final.
Egypt's Omar Assar leapt for the ball during an intense game of table tennis.
Cassandre Beaugrand of Team France was excited (and exhausted!) after winning gold in the women's individual triathlon.
Team Brazil's Rebeca Andrade and Team USA's Simone Biles and Suni Lee posed for a selfie during the Gymnastics Women's All-Around Final medal ceremony.
Nigeria's Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah jumped for the ball during her match against France.
Men's foil windsurfing embraced the wind as they raced to the finish.
For Simone Biles, the limit to greatness does not exist.
Caroline Marks of Team USA surfed her way closer to a medal.
Suni Lee's balance beam routine was captured from a bird's eye view.
Gold medalist Jiayu Yang of China lapped compatriot Hong Liu.
France's Florent Manaudou had a cheeky greeting for the crowd.
French cyclist Anthony Jeanjean lost his shoe during a fall at the men's BMX freestyle park final. The Olympian went on to brush off his tumble and snagged the bronze medal with his second run.
Diving practice never looked so fun.
Team USA's Katie Ledecky was ecstatic after winning gold in the women's 1500m freestyle final.
Japan's Shinnosuke Oka held his nation's flag behind him as he celebrated earning the men's all-around individual gold medal.
Men's individual triathalon athletes dove into the newly cleansed Seine River.
Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix and Lois Toulson from Great Britain were perfectly in tune with each other.
Felix Dolci of Team Canada sent the crowd a heart after he redid his high bar performance following a fall due to a broken grip.
Cassandre Beaugrand of France crossed the finish line for the women's triathalon.
The U.S. women's rugby team celebrated the country's first ever medal in the sport with their bronze win.
Argentina's Jose Torres Gil went all in during his BMX freestyle performance.
Team China's Yawen Deng gave quite the performance during the BMX freestyle competition.
Everyone was impressed by Team Germany's ability to get some air.
Marjorie Delassus of France was locked in during her canoe slalom semifinal competition.
Simone Biles and her teammates cheered on after their victory.
Italy's epee team couldn't contain their excitement after besting France in their gold medal bout.
Greece's Theodoros Tselidis and United Arab Emirates' Aram Grigorian faced off in the judo 90-kg competition.
Leon Marchand of Team France gave a whole new meaning to "green eyes" while competing in the Men's 200m Breaststroke Semifinals.
Watch the 2024 Paris Olympics daily on NBC and Peacock until the summer games end with the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, Aug. 11, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.Watch the 2024 Paris Olympics daily on NBC and Peacock until the summer games end with the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, Aug. 11, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
