U.S. gymnast Suni Lee talks about her Olympic gold medal from Tokyo, going to Auburn for college and her love of socks.
Suni Lee quickly became a household name after surging to all-around gold at the Tokyo Olympics — continuing the United States' golden streak in the event that started with Carly Patterson back in 2004.
The Minnesota native left Tokyo with the full medal collection with a silver in the team competition and a bronze on the uneven bars in addition to her all-around gold, but perhaps still has some unfinished business in the sport as she gears up for her second Games.
Watch NBC6 free wherever you are
>
Get to know a little more about the Olympic gold medalist ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
What age did Suni Lee start gymnastics?
Get local news you need to know to start your day with NBC 6's News Headlines newsletter.
>
Suni Lee was an active child who loved to flip around, which resulted in her father building a balance beam in the backyard for her to practice her skills. At age 6, Lee formally began her gymnastics training at Midwest Gymnastics Centre in Little Canada, Minnesota — where she still trains today.
How old is Suni Lee?
Suni Lee is 21-years-old and was born on March 9, 2003.
How tall is Suni Lee?
Suni Lee is five feet tall.
What state does Suni Lee live in?
Suni Lee was born and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where she still resides today. Lee lived in Auburn, Alabama, for a brief period while competing for Auburn University from 2022-23.
Where are Suni Lee's parents from?
Yeev Thoj, Suni Lee’s mother, and her longtime partner, John Lee, immigrated to the United States from Laos. Although John is not her biological father, Lee was raised by him since age 2 and considers him to be her father.
How many siblings does Suni Lee have?
Suni Lee has five siblings: Jonah, Shyenne, Evionn, Lucky and Noah.
What are some interesting facts about Suni Lee?
- She was named Sunisa Phabsomphou at birth but began using her father’s surname ‘Lee’ as a teenager.
- She is the first-ever Hmong-American Olympic gymnast and the first woman of Asian descent to win the Olympic all-around title in women’s gymnastics.
- She is the first Olympic all-around gold medalist to compete in NCAA gymnastics.
- She is training a new skill on the uneven bars — a full twisting jaeger — which will be named after her if she competes the skill at the 2024 Olympics.
