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Suni Lee is America's rising star in the sport of gymnastics. In her short career so far, she has already managed three Olympic medals - one gold, one silver, and a bronze. The Auburn Tigers gymnast turned up the heat on Friday while competing against the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The Olympian shook the crowd in attendance with two perfect 10s against Alabama. This triggered a social media onslaught of people voicing their opinion on Lee and her status as a future great:
Suni Lee's first perfect 10 came after her dazzling performance on the uneven bars during the opening rotation against the Crimson Tide. This marked her first perfect score at the event this season.
Fans rallied behind the American star online, showing her love for the amazing effort she put into the routine.
Even after an amazing routine, Suni Lee was not done. She scored another perfect 10 at the Coleman Coliseum. This time, performing on the balance beam, the Olympian showcased the perfect mixture of strength and balance. This marked her second perfect score on the balance beam this season.
Again, amazed by the routine, fans took to Twitter to make their opinions known. In support of the young American star, a user mentioned that her performance had a magnificent blend of physicality and concentration.
The concentration it takes to perform certain gymnastics routines can be underestimated at times. Not only do elite gymnasts perfect their art through practice and repetition, they also focus on training the mind to hold on to concentration despite the pressure and a loud crowd.
The two perfect 10s in Alabama on Friday drove her total tally of perfect scores to eight. This number is the highest in the history of Auburn Women's Gymnastics.
Unfortunately, for Suni and the Tigers, the final score did not reflect her stunning performance as they lost to the Alabama Crimson Tide 197.850-197.700.
Suni Lee's final year of collegiate gymnastics
The Olympian is just 19 but has already announced that this season will be her last as a college athlete. Suni Lee plans a return home to Minneapolis to focus on the Paris Olympics. In a video on social media, she said:
"Today I'm sharing a decision that has weighed on me for a very long time. This will be my last season competing at Auburn University. I'm so excited to share that after this season I will be returning to elite gymnastics. I have my sights set on Paris 2024 and I know what I have to do to get there."
The news was taken seriously by the Auburn home crowd. Auburn’s athletic department announced that all tickets to women’s gymnastics home meets were sold out as early as the beginning of December 2022.
Suni Lee has most certainly started the season with a bang and there's more to come.
