St. Paul gymnast Suni Lee wanted the gold medal on balance beam. She made that very clear heading into the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Unfortunately for Lee, she fell midway through her routine on Monday at Bercy Arena, and ended up missing the podium altogether.

It was heartbreaking conclusion for Lee in her final event of the Olympics.

That said, Lee put on a brave face as she walked off the mat, even cracking a smile as she received encouragement from her longtime coach Jess Graba along with the GOAT Simone Biles.

Frankly, Lee had no reason to hang her head in that moment, especially given everything she’d already accomplished.

She helped Team USA win the gold medal in the team competition. She followed it up by taking the bronze medal in the all-around competition. She captured the bronze medal on uneven bars for good measure.

Not bad considering Lee wasn’t even supposed to be here. She displayed so much strength over the past 18 months to make it back this point. After being diagnosed with an incurable kidney disease and almost having to retire from the sport, Lee battled back to return to the highest level.

She shined bright once she got there.

If this is it for Lee, and it might be, it’s been among the most successful careers the U.S. women’s gymnastics team has ever seen. She had a trio of medals from the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and a trio of medals from the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

That’s what people will remember when they think about Lee and that’s exactly the way it should be.

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