Sunisa Lee

Lee was born Sunisa Phabsomphou and is of Hmong descent. Her mother, Yeev Thoj, immigrated to the United States from Laos as a child. John Lee began dating Thoj when Sunisa was two, raised her, and became the father figure she credits as her father. She began using his surname professionally as a teenager.

Lee developed an interest in gymnastics at age six after watching Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson. John built a balance beam for her at home, and she began formal training at Midwest Gymnastics Center in Little Canada, Minnesota. She won an all-around title at a state meet during her second competition and qualified for the elite level at age 11.

Lee trained under Punnarith Koy before moving to coach Jess Graba at about age 12. Graba has coached her throughout her elite career. She became a member of the U.S. Junior National Team in 2017 and announced a scholarship commitment to Auburn University that same year.

Lee made her senior international debut at the 2019 City of Jesolo Trophy, winning the all-around title and helping the United States take team gold. Later that year, she won team gold, floor exercise silver, and uneven bars bronze at the World Championships in Stuttgart. Despite ankle and tibia injuries, she finished second to Simone Biles in the 2019 U.S. Championships all-around and earned a place on the U.S. World Championships team.

At the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Lee placed second behind Biles at the U.S. Olympic Trials. When Biles withdrew from most of the team final after experiencing the twisties, Lee competed on floor exercise in addition to uneven bars and balance beam. She helped the United States win team silver, then won the individual all-around gold medal ahead of Rebeca Andrade and Angelina Melnikova. Lee also won uneven bars bronze.

Lee enrolled at Auburn University in August 2021 and became the first Olympic all-around champion to compete collegiately. During her 2022 season, she won the NCAA balance beam title, finished second in the all-around behind Trinity Thomas, and earned eight All-America honors. She also became the first collegiate gymnast to perform a Nabieva on the uneven bars. Lee left Auburn after the 2022-2023 season was cut short by health issues so she could pursue a return to elite gymnastics.

Lee experienced severe swelling, nausea, and lightheadedness in early 2023. She was diagnosed with two forms of kidney disease, one described as incurable, and ended her sophomore season at Auburn in April. Treatment, medication, physical therapy, and adjustments to her training allowed her to return to competition.

Lee qualified for the 2023 U.S. Championships and won bronze on balance beam. In April 2024, she said her kidney condition was in remission. She then placed second in the all-around and first on uneven bars at the U.S. Olympic Trials, securing a place on the U.S. team for the Paris Games.

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Lee contributed scores on uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise as the United States won team gold. She also won bronze in the individual all-around and bronze on uneven bars, bringing her Olympic total to six medals.

Her all-around bronze made her the first reigning Olympic champion since Nadia Comăneci in 1980 to medal in the event at the following Olympic Games. Lee finished sixth in the balance beam final after a fall.

A few months after the Tokyo Olympics, Lee competed on season 30 of Dancing with the Stars. Her professional dance partner was Sasha Farber, and she reached the semifinals before finishing fifth overall.

Lee also appeared in the Peacock docuseries Golden: The Journey of USA's Elite Gymnasts and the YouTube documentary series Defying Gravity: The Untold Story of Women's Gymnastics. She designed a signature leotard collection with GK Elite in 2021 and launched an athleisure capsule collection with PrettyLittleThing in 2022.