Young Hmong American gymnast shines at World's championship

USA GYMNASTICS

Sunisa Lee, left, and  Simone Biles helped lead the US to the team title at World's Gymnastic Championship.

ASAM NEWS

Sunisa Lee said she couldn’t help but think of her father as she stood on the gold medal podium with Team USA at the World Gymnastics Championship in Stuttgart, Germany.

It was just in August when her father fell off a ladder while trying to help a friend. Her father, a Persian Gulf War veteran, suffered a spinal cord injury and is now paralyzed.

“I was thinking of my dad the whole time,” the 16 year old said to NBC Sports, “and to do it for him because I knew that he would be so proud.”

“I FaceTimed him last night and he’s telling me that he’s super excited and proud, and he even woke up super early this morning just to watch,” she said Tuesday to the Star Tribune.

Her father John said “it’s amazing” to see his daughter and teammates doing so well.

Simone Biles, the star of the US team and at age 22, the oldest, took time to single out the Hmong American from St. Paul, Minnesota.

“What’s impressed me the most, I think, has been Suni. She’s only 16 years old. She’s been through a long year, and to come out and put up the three events and the scores she did is pretty crazy.”

Biles record setting performance helped the US women's gymnastics team to win the title. This is their record-tying fifth consecutive World team title, and it's also their seventh win of all time. 

Sunisa told reporters, "I feel amazing. It's so crazy to be a world champion, and I'm so excited." 

In the individual all-around competition, Lee finished eighth in the women's all-around competition in Stuttgart, Germany, after an early miscue  hurt her score in her signature event, on the uneven bars. Meanwhile, her teammate Biles continued her extraordinary run by finishing first in the all-around

"I feel like I kind of let the nerves get to me a little bit, but it's all part of the learning experience," Lee said to reporters in Germany after the meet. "There's going to be a lot more meets to come before the Olympics, so hopefully I can kind of get myself back together for that."

Views From the Edge contributed to this report.

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