Gold medalist Sunisa Lee announces retirement from Auburn due to kidney issue
Lee won a national championship on the balance beam in 2021
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1 min read
Auburn gymnastics star Sunisa Lee has announced that her college career is over due to a health-related issue.
On Monday, Lee posted a message on social media in which she announced her collegiate retirement. Lee said that she has been dealing with a "non-gymnastics" kidney issue, and doctors couldn't clear her to compete.
"I have been dealing with a non-gymnastics health related issue involving my kidneys," Lee said in her statement. "For my safety, the medical team did not clear me to train and compete over the last few weeks. I am blessed and thankful to be working with the best specialized medical team to treat and manage my diagnosis. My focus at this time is my health and recovery."
— Sunisa lee (@sunisalee_) April 3, 2023
Lee thanked everyone at Auburn who has supported her throughout her career, and she said this issue would not keep her from competing at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
"It's been challenging to end my Auburn career early, but I am thankful for all the love and support," Lee said. "I will not stop pursuing my dreams for Paris in 2024. In fact, this experience has sharpened my vision for the future."
In her prolific college career, Lee won the national championship on the balance beam, and she helped lead Auburn to fourth place in the national championship. Lee's presence will be missed for the rest of the 2022-23 season.
Lee won a gold medal in the all-round competition at the Tokyo Olympics, and she will try to defend that title in Paris. Lee will also try to build upon the United States' silver-medal finish in 2021.
