Suni Lee, the 18-year old Olympic Gold medalist for “all-around gymnast,” stepped in when the “greatest of all time” Simone Biles withdrew at the Tokyo games. Lee’s golden moment is captured in images that have been tweeted and shared on social media.
The first Asian American of Hmong descent ever to receive gold in gymnastics made history, and now she will test history in the college ranks.
All her pictures will now be gold.
The new NCAA cleared the way in June for athletes like Lee when the NCAA board of directors suspended the old rules that prohibited athletes from selling the rights to their names, images and likenesses.
Most people immediately thought of the big events from cash cow sports like football--where a player making a last minute touchdown catch--or in basketball--where a player dunking the ball in victorious triumph---can become viral images.
But I doubt anyone thought of Lee, the incoming freshman, who just had the summer of her life, winning three medals at the Tokyo Olympics, with the biggest one being, the all-around event, symbolic of the best gymnast in the world.
Emil Guillermo
Lee, who will be attending Auburn and is already gracing the SEC’s school website as Olympic champ, will likely be the most photographed player in college sports in the next year. She’ll be going to school and competing, but also participating in an Olympic national tour with Biles and her other teammates.
