Sunisa Lee called Simone Biles her idol during an interview with the New York Times in July 2020.
A year later, Lee, who overcame injury in 2019 and the loss of two family members to COVID-19, put her own talent on display for all to see as she stepped out of the shadow of her friend and famous teammate.
Just as Biles did before her in 2016, Lee extended the United States' dominance in the women's Olympic all-around on Tuesday night, outdueling Brazilian Rebeca Andrade and ROC athlete Angelina Melnikova to win gold. Lee's triumph was historic, as she is the first Hmong-American to make a U.S. Olympic team.
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