After a nine-month absence from the sport, America’s Olympic darling might be signaling a quiet goodbye. Once the face of resilience in Tokyo, and again in Paris, Lee’s story has always been one of fierce comebacks. But now, away from chalk dust and podiums, she’s embracing a new rhythm—one that doesn’t involve routines or scores. Her latest appearance? Not in a gym, but in the glossy pages of Sports Illustrated’s 2025 Swimsuit Issue.

Paris 2024 wasn’t just another Olympic chapter—it was Suni Lee’s redemption arc. Just a year prior, she was battling a rare kidney illness that wrecked her NCAA season and nearly ended her gymnastics career. Her final Olympic moment came on the uneven bars—her specialty—where she nailed a routine marked by high difficulty and elegance.

Her 14.800 edged out Belgium’s Nina Derwael (14.766) and Italy’s Alice D’Amato (14.733), clinching a bronze medal. It was her sixth Olympic medal, tying her with Aly Raisman as the third most-decorated U.S. gymnast in history. But with no competitions since and no comeback announcements, fans are left to wonder: was that her last act?

“Olympian to It-Girl: Suni Lee’s SI Swimsuit Debut Celebrates Her New Era” headlined Sports Illustrated Swimsuit on May 13, after Suni Lee debuted in the swimsuit issue of the magazine. Today, she works with the American Kidney Fund as an ambassador to raise awareness and advocate for others with conditions like hers in New York. While on set with SI Swimsuit, Lee discussed her move to the Big Apple after the Paris Olympics and what she’s learned so far.

While she did point out that moving to NYC has been a big adjustment, she doesn’t have to worry here anymore. The best thing about that place? Privacy. Being an Olympic star can get you a lot of people on the street who can be suffocating. In New York, it’s different. “No one cares about anything,” Lee explained, “they always mind their business, and I always feel so comfortable whenever I walk in the streets. I feel like, normally, I’m a little bit conscious.”

She further added, “I’m like, ‘How do I look today?’ But whenever I’m in New York, everyone’s in their own world. And I just love that.” So, as far as to speculate, the answer to whether Paris was the last we saw of Suni Lee, the gymnast. The answer might be yes in most probable cases. So it’s safe to say that Paris might have seen the end of her elite gymnastics career after he retirement from collegiate gymnastics back in 2023.

Inside Suni Lee’s retirement from collegiate gymnastics

After capturing the all-around gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Suni Lee rose to instant global fame. She then made a bold choice: joining Auburn University to compete in NCAA gymnastics. Her 2022 freshman season was stellar—she earned multiple perfect 10s, won the NCAA beam title, and helped Auburn reach the Final Four for the first time in school history. But in late 2022, Lee announced that her NCAA career would end early to focus on training for the 2024 Olympics. Quietly, her health was already beginning to falter.

In early 2023, Lee began experiencing severe swelling, fatigue, and weight gain. Doctors diagnosed her with two rare, incurable kidney diseases. She missed the remainder of her collegiate season and stepped away from gymnastics entirely. At times, she could barely walk, let alone train. Her muscles weakened. “I didn’t know if I was ever going to be able to do gymnastics again,” she said. It was an unofficial retirement—no farewell tour, no closure. Just silence and pain. But behind the scenes, she kept fighting.

By the end of 2023, Lee began a cautious return to elite gymnastics. She modified her training to work around her illness and surprised many by making the U.S. Olympic team. In Paris, she became the heart of the U.S. squad. She helped the team secure gold in the team final. Then came the all-around final—she soared on bars and beam, fought through floor, and captured a bronze medal, her fifth Olympic medal. Her final act at the Bercy Arena, in the uneven bars final, as we speculate, might have been a glorious end to her elite gymnastics career. While in between, she has dropped a video of her performing any skill, but it has also been painful to her. What do you think? Would she ever roll on the uneven bars again?