Reigning Olympic Champion Suni Lee set to compete at Winter Cup in Louisville 

Suni Lee is set to compete at the Winter Cup in Louisville, Kentucky, returning to the sport after almost eight months. Lee has been out of action for an extended period of time owing to her kidney disease.

The artistic gymnast was diagnosed with two types of kidney diseases in 2023. It limited her training and forced her to cut short the last NCAA season.

The 20-year-old had expressed worry about her career in an interview with SELF magazine. She said:

"What if I'm never allowed to do gymnastics again or I can never make it to the Olympics again?"

However, it seems like Lee is well on her way to recovery, with an eye on the Paris Olympics. USA Gymnastics confirmed that the Olympic all-around champion is registered for the Kentucky meet on February 24.

Lee, the first Asian American woman to win the Olympic all-around title, returned to competition at Classics last year, wherein she earned a 14,500 to place second to Simone Biles' 14,800.

The 20-year-old had told Just Women's Sports that her goal was to just be able to compete.

"My main goal was to just come here and compete. I'm not worrying about winning or placing anything. I just wanted to get back out here. I'm not doing full difficulty at all. I'm not competing floor (exercise)."

Lee shared that she didn't care about winning a medal or placing on anything.

"I really just wanted to go there and prove to myself that I was able to do it, because I kept telling myself, 'I'm never going to be able to do it again."

Lee didn't attend the US team selection camp in September 2023 for the World Championships in order to recover and be fit for Paris. She is now set to make her mark at the Winter Cup.

Suni Lee to compete alongside Gabby Douglas

Lee will be competing alongside Gabby Douglas, the 2012 Olympic all-around champion, at the Winter Cup.

Douglas confirmed her return to the sport in July 2023, almost seven years after her 2016 Summer Olymmpics heroics.

Gymnastics - Artistic - Olympics: Day 9

Speaking to Hallie Jackson on NBC News Now, the gymnast detailed her journey back into the sport. She said:

"I was watching the 2022 (US) championships, and I was like, 'Man, I miss competing.' And, I was trying to figure out how to get like, this...I'm still a competitor at heart...I can get this out of me, and so I decided to start back training. I can't believe I'm in this sport again."

Douglas also highlighted her comeback on Instagram with a heartfelt post where she wrote:

"wow guys, what a journey so far. it’s had its ups and downs, but i’m not done pushing the boundaries. i’m determined to make every moment count! SO happy to get back out on the competition floor and enjoy this sport that i fell in love with as a little girl. here’s to never giving up on our dreams. let’s do this."

The Winter Cup is a qualifying event for gymnasts into the 2024 US Gymnastics Championships.