Remember when Suni Lee faced a difficult moment at the 2024 U.S. Gymnastics Championships after a rough vault sent her into the tunnel to collect herself? Simone Biles noticed her teammate was struggling and went to check on her. Lee later shared that it was “really nice to have her in my corner” as Biles helped her build her confidence back. Now, with Lee back in the gym after announcing her comeback following a two-year break, she has been sharing new glimpses of her training, and Biles once again appeared to support her, this time from afar.
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On September 18, Lee gave fans another look at her return to the gym, sharing a video of herself working through several events. She was seen practicing on the balance beam, focusing on her positioning and control, while also showing off flips and other skills. The Olympic champion also gave fans glimpses of her work on the uneven bars and vault as she continues getting back into the rhythm of elite gymnastics.
Lee captioned the update, “back into the swing of thinggss!! some fun gym updates & progress for you guys 🤍.” For Lee, those flips mean more than just another training clip. After spending two years away from competitive gymnastics, she has to rebuild the timing, air awareness, confidence and consistency needed to perform difficult skills safely and repeatedly. She has already shown encouraging signs since announcing her return in July, when she said, “I know what I’m capable of” and that she was willing to do whatever it took to make another Olympic run.
Her comeback also carries the memory of the health battle that interrupted her career in 2023. Lee was diagnosed with two kidney diseases and had to step away from gymnastics for months before fighting her way back to compete at the Paris Olympics. She went on to help the U.S. win team gold while also earning bronze medals in the all-around and uneven bars. And now, seeing Lee comfortably working through gymnastics skills again has drawn so much attention.
And Biles was quick to join the reaction. Biles commented with two tea emojis, “🫖🫖.” Soon after, one fan even replied to Biles comment, “Your turn 🤭😏,” turning the conversation toward Biles and her own uncertain gymnastics future.
The reaction comes at an interesting time for Biles. Unlike Lee, she has not announced that she is returning to competition. Biles said in April that her decision about competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics was still “50-50.” Biles has, however, shown that she can still perform gymnastics. In August, she returned to the gym at World Champions Centre and shared footage of herself doing skills and flips.
That makes the timing of her reaction to Lee even more interesting. While Suni is already committed to rebuilding her gymnastics with the 2028 Olympics in mind, Simone is still deciding whether she wants to take that path again. For now, Lee’s latest flips are giving fans plenty to talk about.
Suni Lee’s comeback sparks a wave of support from excited fans
“I’m here for this!! We are ALL here for this! 🙌🏼🐾🥳‼️” one fan wrote, while another added, “That’s our girl!!! ❤️❤️❤️” And for Lee, seeing those reactions means even more after everything she has been through.
When Lee was battling her kidney-related illness in 2023, her future in gymnastics became uncertain. She later revealed that one of her doctors told her he did not think she would ever be able to do gymnastics again. Yet Lee fought her way back. After announcing her comeback in July, Lee resumed training on July 20 at Midwest Gymnastics Center in Minnesota, where she reunited with her longtime coach, Jess Graba.
She did not need months to give fans their first glimpse of what she could still do. After only about eight days of elite training, Lee shared footage of herself working on an aerial cartwheel into two layout step-outs, an acrobatic series she had performed at the Paris Olympics. Speaking to CBS Minnesota, she said she had “gotten my glow back,” reflecting the confidence she was beginning to find again as she started this new Olympic push.
Still, Lee’s comeback is only beginning. She is currently in the training phase, with Graba indicating that a competition return could come in spring 2027. “you are the coolest,” one fan wrote. Another added, “It’s like you never left! Excited to see you compete at next year’s Worlds and LA28 🤩😆.”
Lee has already competed at two Olympic Games. But there is one medal she has yet to win: Olympic gold on the balance beam. Lee competed in the beam final at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo and came in fifth place. She was a little closer to the podium three years later in Paris! However, during a tumbling series in the beam final, she lost her balance and fell from the apparatus. Lee was visibly disappointed with the 13.100 score, finishing 6th
“She felt like she was a medalist on beam, and we didn’t get one,” her coach Jess Graba said after Paris. “So I think she’d like to rectify that.” Now, that unfinished chapter could be one of the reasons Lee is back.