US gymnast Suni Lee became the fifth straight American woman to win Olympic all-around gold on Thursday when she beat out Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade at the Tokyo Olympics.
Lee recorded a 57.344 score, barely beating Andrade who scored 57.298.
With the win, Lee also became first Asian woman to claim Olympic gold in the all-around.
It was a huge and momentous occasion, but it was still impossible to shake the lingering memory of Simone Biles withdrawing from both this event and others a few days earlier.
Biles has been the face of US women’s gymnastics for years, and as incredible as Lee’s victory was, many couldn’t help but wonder how her teammate felt about what had transpired.
Fortunately, folks didn’t have to wait long for an answer.
In a video posted to social media, Biles clarified exactly how she felt about Lee’s performance.
Teammates who support you >>>>@Simone_Biles hyping up @sunisalee_ ❤️ pic.twitter.com/BVpZaVYlnr
— ESPN (@espn) July 29, 2021
Biles referred to Lee as “the queen” in the clip. Lee, meanwhile, could be seen overjoyed with her new medal in hand – cheesing it up for the camera.
Afterward, Biles followed up with this Instagram post:
View this post on Instagram
For obvious reasons, both posts immediately went viral in a way not seen in women’s gymnastics since McKayla Maroney’s infamous TikTok.
As expected, Biles’ passing of the torch to the new face of US women’s gymnastics went off without a hitch.
At just 18 years of age, Lee figures to be a prominent star for many years to come.
That’s one way to celebrate a birthday. https://t.co/kR0Coa801w
— Game 7 (@game7__) July 28, 2021
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
