Olympian Suni Lee is officially returning to competitive gymnastics.
“I know what I’m capable of. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get there,” Lee said in a voiceover on a video she shared to Instagram Tuesday.
The 23-year-old’s announcement featured clips of her training and competing in past seasons, and closed on a simple line of text: “This is more than a comeback, stay tuned.” Her return comes two years ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, giving her a long runway to prepare for what would be her third Games.
USA Gymnastics celebrated the news on its own Instagram account, resharing Lee’s video.
“The journey continues! Welcome back, Suni!” the organization wrote.
Fellow Olympians piled on with their own excitement. Jordan Chiles commented, “She’s back!!!!” and gymnast Hezly Rivera added a one-word “yesssss.”
Related: Suni Lee Overcomes Major Medical Issue to Compete in Paris Olympics
Lee’s road back to the competition floor has been anything but smooth. Movieguide® previously reported on the health scare that nearly kept her out of the 2024 Paris Games altogether, when unexplained swelling led to a diagnosis of two rare kidney diseases.
“I am blessed and thankful to be working with the best specialized medical team to treat and manage my diagnosis,” Lee said at the time, adding that her focus was on health and recovery rather than competition.
She made it back anyway. Lee competed in Paris and became the first American woman to win two medals in the uneven bars, her signature event, closing out her Olympic career so far with six total medals: two gold, one silver and three bronze.
Her gratitude for that comeback didn’t end at the medal stand. When Lee won the 2025 ESPY for Best Comeback Athlete, she brought her nephrologist, Dr. Marcia Faustin, co-head team physician for the USA Gymnastics Women’s National Team, as her date to the award show.
“Thank you for guiding me through the toughest moments, reading every scan and report by my side,” Lee said in her acceptance speech, giving Dr. Faustin a shoutout by name.
It’s a pattern worth noticing for families who’ve followed Lee’s story: the credit rarely stops with her own hard work. Between the doctors, the coaches and teammates like Hezly Rivera — who cited Isaiah 40:31 after Team USA’s 2024 gold-medal win — this corner of Olympic gymnastics has made a habit of pointing past itself when things go right.
Lee isn’t the only Team USA veteran eyeing a Los Angeles homecoming. Track star Allyson Felix has also announced plans for her own comeback ahead of the 2028 Games, held on her home turf.
Whether Lee ultimately makes the 2028 roster is still two years and a lot of training away. But for an athlete who once wasn’t sure she’d walk back into a gym, let alone stand on another podium, simply choosing to try again says something about where she’s found her footing.
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