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ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA — AUGUST 8: U.S. Olympic gold medalist Sunisa Lee, center, makes a heart sign for her fans during a parade in her honor in St. Paul, Minn. on Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021. Lee, of St. Paul, took home three Olympic medals — gold, silver and bronze — in gymnastics from the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She is joined by Her mother, Yeeb Thoj, left, and her sister, Shyenne Lee. (John Autey / MediaNews Group / St. Paul Pioneer Press via Getty Images)
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ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA — AUGUST 8: U.S. Olympic gold medalist Sunisa Lee, center, makes a heart sign for her fans during a parade in her honor in St. Paul, Minn. on Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021. Lee, of St. Paul, took home three Olympic medals — gold, silver and bronze — in gymnastics from the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She is joined by Her mother, Yeeb Thoj, left, and her sister, Shyenne Lee. (John Autey / MediaNews Group / St. Paul Pioneer Press via Getty Images)
Tokyo Olympics 2020 gold medalist, Suni Lee has been having a wonderful year. The 18-year-old is an inspiration for young athletes around the world. After winning gold in Tokyo, Lee is set to compete in the American show, Dancing with the Stars. The young gymnast also made her debut at the iconic fashion event, the Met Gala 2021.?To add to her considerable list of achievements, Suni got one more honor.
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Suni Lee added to the Times 100 Most Influential People List 2021
Back in July at the start of Tokyo Olympics 2020, Suni could not have imagined how rewarding 2021 would be for her. At Tokyo Olympics 2020, she clinched three medals at her maiden Olympics.?Suni bagged the gold and bronze medal in the individual events. She also won the silver medal in the team event. When the Olympic favorite Simone had to step back, Suni performed stunningly for team USA.
After her recent achievement at Olympics, Suni Lee was added to the pioneer list of Times 100 Most Influential People List 2021. Times Magazine also shared a video of the 18-year-old finding out about the news. Suni Lee is seen jumping with happiness after hearing the shocking news. The young star shouted, “No way” in disbelief.
Watch: @sunisalee_ finds out she's on the 2021 #TIME100 pic.twitter.com/VfLNQ7VAjy
— TIME (@TIME) September 15, 2021
Fellow gymnast praises young star
Times Magazine has a unique way of recognizing people on its list. Essays are written on the influential people by prominent names from their own fields. Five-times Olympic medalist Nastia Liukin wrote a beautiful essay praising Suni Lee for her recent achievements.
Nastia wrote about Suni, “Under the bright lights of sports? biggest arena, Sunisa Lee?s Olympic performance not only cements her legacy but also symbolizes strength and fuels inspiration around the world.”
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TOKYO, JAPAN – JULY 29: Sunisa Lee of Team United States poses with her gold medal after winning the Women’s All-Around Final on day six of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on July 29, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Nastia also called Suni an inspiration for underrepresented people. Suni indeed gives people hope to dream big, as anything is possible with determination and hustle.
They also recognized Olympic gymnastics GOAT Simone Biles on the list. Other athletes who made it to the list were tennis star Naomi Osaka and athletics legend Allyson Felix.
Also read: Simone Biles Tops ?Titan? Category in Times Most Influential 100 List