St. Paul gymnast Suni Lee says kidney issue prematurely ended collegiate career

Dane Mizutani, Pioneer Press
Updated ·1 min read
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St. Paul native Suni Lee revealed on Monday via social media that a kidney issue is the cause for her missing multiple gymnastics meets over the past month. She posted a personal statement on Twitter in which she explained the situation.

“For my safety, my medical team did not clear me to train and compete over the last few weeks,” Lee wrote. “I am blessed and thankful to be working with the best specialized medical team to treat and manage my diagnosis. My focus this time is my health and recovery.”

Many have wondered why exactly Lee has not been competing for the Auburn women’s gymnastic team as of late. She notably missed the NCAA Regional in Los Angeles over the weekend, meaning she cannot qualify for the NCAA Championships.

After becoming a household name by winning the gold medal in the all-around competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Lee took her talents to Auburn to compete at the collegiate level.

In total, she competed with the Tigers for two years, announcing in November that she would be leaving to pursue a spot on Team USA for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. It’s important to note that the 20-year-old Lee maintained that the kidney issue has not impacted those plans.

“It’s been challenging to end my Auburn career early,” Lee wrote while thanking the community multiple times in her personal statement. “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.”

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