"It was really important for me"- Suni Lee claims a boost in confidence after balance beam victory at the U.S. Core Hydration Classic 2024

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist, Suni Lee, recently opened up about her return to the gymnastics mat after a serious kidney disorder in 2023. This comes just after the conclusion of her third tournament of the season, the Core Hydration Classic 2024 in Connecticut, Hartford.

In Hartford, the 21-year-old produced quite a decent performance considering her return to the discipline after a long hiatus due to a kidney disorder. Even though Lee took part only in three apparatuses buts, she finished the event quite content with her performances.

Her most splendid performance on Saturday came in the beam balance event where she finished with 14.600 points just above the four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles (14.55 points). However, for Suni Lee, the results didn't matter as she was just looking to get her confidence and momentum back through these tournaments before the Olympics.

After the conclusion of the 2024 edition of the Core Hydration Classic, Lee said in a post-match interview with Olympics.com:

"It was really important for me to go out there and fight to fight those demons. These competitions have been helping me build my confidence up."

Lee's coach Jess Graba also shared his opinions about the Olympic gold medalist's inspiring return to the sport after such a serious disease. He said:

"A year ago, I didn't think we'd be here. Everything she's doing, it's just icing on the cake. The gymnastics doesn't really matter. She's an inspiration to the kids at our gym, my team, everything. So that's enough."

Suni Lee's next tournament will be the Xfinity Gymnastics Championships, which is scheduled to start on May 30, followed by the US Olympic trials in which Lee will be looking to solidify her name in the US team for the Paris Olympics.

Suni Lee earns qualifications for the US Gymnastics Championships at the American Classic 2024

Suni Lee at the media summit

Suni Lee displayed a strong performance in her second gymnastics tournament of the season, the 2024 American Classic. Competing against some of the most high-profile gymnasts in the country, such as Jordan Chiles and Gabby Douglas, the Minnesota native showed her mettle in beam balance and vaults where she assembled 13.250 and 14.300 points respectively.

Lee's score in the beam balance event was also the highest individual score in the 2024 edition of the American Classic. Owing to this, she earned her qualification for the upcoming Xfinity Gymnastics Championships, which will decide the US national champion.