Who is Suni Lee? Meet the US gymnast defending gold at the 2024 Olympics whose career nearly ended due to a rare kidney disease

US gymnastics prima Suni Lee is group to take sides her Olympic crown successful Paris conscionable complete a twelvemonth since being diagnosed pinch an incurable kidney disease.

Lee, who won golden successful nan women's all-around arena astatine nan 2020 Olympics successful Tokyo, has battled backmost from that test to make it to her 2nd Games this summer, capturing her first golden badge of nan title alongside Simone Biles successful nan teams last connected Tuesday.

Over nan adjacent week she will besides bid to clasp her all-around title while adding different medals to her collection, having claimed a squad metallic and uneven bars bronze 3 years ago.

But who is nan 21-year-old aiming to make much history successful nan French capital?

DailyMail.com are connected manus pinch everything you request to cognize astir Lee. 

Who is Suni Lee?

Suni Lee was calved connected March 9, 2003, to mother Yeev Thoj, who immigrated to nan United States from the Southeast Asian state of Laos pinch her girl and long-time partner John soon aft giving birth.

After gaining an liking successful gymnastics astatine nan property of six, she first took up nan athletics successful her hometown of Minnesota and worked her measurement up to competing internationally by nan property of 14.

The erstwhile Auburn assemblage prima claimed a squad golden badge astatine nan 2019 World Championships successful Stuttgart, on pinch a metallic successful nan level workout and a bronze successful nan uneven bars.

She went connected to unafraid her first Olympic berth for nan 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were held a twelvemonth later than planned owed to nan Covid pandemic. 

When they yet took spot Lee walked distant pinch 3 medals, including a golden successful nan all-around event. 

Why did her profession almost extremity early?

Last twelvemonth Lee was forced to return a six-month hiatus from gymnastics aft she was diagnosed pinch an unspecified, incurable kidney disease.

The Olympic champion first noticed swelling symptoms which yet accrued to nan constituent she gained 40 pounds, earlier testing and an eventual kidney biopsy diagnosed her pinch nan disease.

She was forced to opt retired of USA's World Championship squad past twelvemonth arsenic a consequence of nan challenges of competing while connected medication.

However, successful January of this twelvemonth she received immoderate bully news from her doctor, who called to show her that nan medicine was moving and that she would beryllium capable to compete successful this summer's Olympics.

'We person it nether power now,' Lee precocious said. 'We cognize what to do and nan correct medicine to take.'

What events is she competing successful astatine nan 2024 Olympics?

Lee first competed successful nan women's squad finals connected Tuesday July 30 on pinch superstar teammate Simone Biles. 

The pair led Team USA to its first Olympic golden successful creator gymnastics since 2016 aft easy beating their rivals astatine nan 2024 Paris Games.

They vanished pinch an awesome winning people of 171.296. Italy came successful 2nd and Brazil successful third. 

Lee will besides take sides her Olympic crown successful nan all-around finals connected Thursday August 1. 

The Minnesota autochthonal is past group to return portion successful nan uneven bars finals connected Sunday August 4 and nan equilibrium beam finals 1 time later.