Suni Lee shows off new tattoo following major magazine cover appearance

Olympic gymnast Suni Lee showed off her new tattoo just days after her debut appearance in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition. Lee had an impressive 2024 season, as she bounced back on the mat and clinched three Olympic medals after battling kidney disease.

At 18 years old, Lee made history by becoming the first Hmong American to compete in the Olympics. She won three medals: individual gold in all-around, bronze in uneven bars, and helped lead Team USA to silver at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Following her first Olympic success, she inked the iconic Olympic rings on her right forearm. Nearly three years later, on Wednesday, 28 May, she revealed a new tattoo, reading ‘ nothing more, nothing less’ on her hand via Instagram story. She captioned it:

“Little cutie”

Screenshot of story (image via IG/@sunisalee)

After the Tokyo Olympics, she joined Auburn University and competed in NCAA gymnastics. In 2022, she won the NCAA balance beam title and finished second in the all-around. She also helped the Auburn Tigers secure a fourth-place finish at the Championships.

In early 2023, Lee started experiencing swelling and weight gain, which led to the diagnosis of two types of kidney disease, forcing Lee to retire from college gymnastics to focus on her recovery. After months of treatment and training, she made a remarkable return to elite gymnastics in 2024.

Following her successful run at the Paris Olympics, she appeared in the Sports Illustrated magazine alongside fellow athletes Jordan Chiles, Olivia Dunne, Gabby Thomas, Ilona Maher, and Anna Hall.

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Suni Lee’s comeback in the Paris 2024 Olympics

Suni Lee at the Paris Games 2024 - Source: Getty

Despite battling kidney disease, Suni Lee made a strong comeback on the mat in 2024. She won three medals: individual bronze in all-around and uneven bars and contributed to Team USA’s gold medal in the team event at the 2024 Paris Games.

Speaking with Glamour in October 2024, Suni Lee reflected on her Paris win:

“Not many people get to come here twice and compete with the best of the best. I just felt absolutely amazing. And now I’ve learnt to really take everything in, and I think that’s why I’m so happy with all of my medals.”

Lee has not yet decided on her participation in the LA 2028 Olympics. She added,

“I don’t think I would want there to be a huge story,” said Lee. “I’d just want to work my butt off in the gym every single day and get everything that I deserved at the Olympics. You know? It shouldn’t be deeper than that. I don’t need any more adversity. I don’t want people to feel bad for me. I just want to go into the gym and work hard.”

Suni Lee now holds six Olympic medals in total: two gold, one silver, and three bronze medals.