ST PAUL, Minn. — St. Paul has a lot to celebrate in hometown hero and gymnast Sunisa Lee.
Lee is the 2020 Olympics All-Around Gold Medalist, and played a vital role in capturing a team silver in Tokyo and a team gold Tuesday in the Paris Games. She also medaled on her signature event - uneven bars - in Tokyo.
What's next for Lee? On Thursday, she will compete against teammate Simone Biles and others for the All-Around title. Then later in the week, Lee will compete for medals on uneven bars and balance beam.
Fans are particularly excited for Lee's routine on uneven bars, as she may exhibit a new release move, per the New York Times. If she completes the move at the Games, officials will name the skill "The Lee" after her.
But beyond her Olympic accolades, who is the high-flying artistic gymnast? Here's more.
Lee, 21, grew up in St. Paul and started doing gymnastics at six years old, according to USA Gymnastics. She trained at Midwest Gymnastics in Little Canada under the tutelage of Punnarith Koy.
Koy said that Lee was a "dynamo" right from the start. Despite not knowing the names of skills, 6-year-old Lee "showed a lot of power," he said.
Teammates said that Lee remains humble and kind to other athletes, as she frequents Midwest Gymnastics and spends time with the young gymnasts. Koy said that he has seen a lot more Asian athletes in gymnastics, spurred by Lee's success.
"She's been an inspiration to a lot of kids around her," Koy said.