Reigning all-around Olympic champion Suni Lee revealed Monday that a kidney issue forced her to leave the Auburn gymnastics team prematurely this season.
Still, she said she expects to be healthy enough to train for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
She had not competed for the Tigers since February, missing two regular-season meets, the Southeastern Conference championship and the NCAA regionals. Auburn’s season ended this weekend at the regionals in Los Angeles.
Lee, 20, previously announced she expected this season — her second at Auburn — to be her last because of the Olympics. But she took to Twitter on Monday to explain just what forced her early retirement, announcing the kidney diagnosis and saying the medical team did not clear her to compete.
“It’s been challenging to end my Auburn career early, but I am thankful for all the love and support. I will not stop pursuing my dreams for a bid to Paris in 2024. In fact, this experience has sharpened my vision for the future. … war eagle forever.”
— Sunisa lee (@sunisalee_) April 3, 2023
At the Olympics in Tokyo in 2021, Lee won the all-around title, as well as a team silver medal and an individual bronze on the bars.
As a freshman at Auburn, she finished second in the all-around at the NCAA championships and won the individual title on the balance beam. She was an all-American in the all-around, beam and floor events and, over two seasons, she set an Auburn record for the most perfect 10 scores.
–Field Level Media