Tokyo Olympics: Suni Lee wins gold medal in best all-around gymnastic performance

The United States's Sunisa Lee with her newest hardware, an Olympic gold medal.

With all of the media focusing on gymnast Simone Biles and her mental health struggle, Sunisa Lee focused on herself and the task at had, to do her best. Her best, it turns out, was enough to win the gold medal in all-around.

"The past two years have been absolutely crazy with Covid and my family and everything else," Lee told journalists Thursday morning after she won the event at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre.

"This medal definitely means a lot to me because there was a point in time when I wanted to quit and I just didn't think I would ever be here, including injuries and stuff.

"So there are a lot of emotions, but I'm definitely super proud of myself for sticking with it and believing in myself," said Lee, who is the first Hmong American to represent the U.S. in the Olympics.

The 18-year old gymnast won the women's all-around title ahead of Brazil's Rebeca Andrade, the silver medalist and the Russian Olympic Committee's Angelina Melnikova, who won the bronze.

Lee's gold medal was the fifth in a row for an American gymnast in the Olympic women's all-around.

Biles and the rest of her teammates, were in the stands to cheer on Lee, who is bound for Auburn University on a full athletic scholarship.

SCREEN CAPTURE / NBC

Sunisa Lee on the balance beam.

Biles, who most experts had predicted to dominate the gymnastics at the Tokyo Olympics, bowed out of competition earlier in the weak because of state of her mental health. Her health, she said, was day to day. It is not certain if she will compete on the individual events Sunday.

At the U.S. championships held prior to the Olympics, Lee had pushed Biles throughout the competition, actually besting the G.O.A.T. on the uneven bars, Lee's specialty.

Biles and the older gymnasts told Lee advised Lee prior tot he competition. “They told me to just go out there and not worry about anything else because I was starting to put a lot of pressure on myself,” Lee said.

Lee can add on to her gold and the silver medal earned by the team. On Sunday gymnasts will compete on individual events. Lee has qualified on the balance beam and uneven bars.

The gold medal was up for grabs up until the last event, the floor exercises. After Lee's performance, which she  made more complicated for the points, she waited until her score to finally celebrated, clapping her hands before hugging her coach. Across the Pacific, cheering broke out in St. Paul, Minnesota where family and friends had gathered to watch her historic performance on television.

The Twin Cities is home to one of the largest Hmong American communities in the United States. Lee is the American-born-and-raised daughter of Laos' Hmong refugees who fought on the side of the Americans during the Vietnam War. Thousands of Hmong families sought refuge in the U.S. after the war.

Just being in the Olympics representing the U.S. "means a lot to the Hmong community," Lee told People,  "... and to just be an inspiration to other Hmong people (means) a lot to me too."