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Gold-winning gymnast Suni Lee to focus on 2024 Olympics after one more season at Auburn University

Sunisa Lee of Team United States competes during the Women's Balance Beam Final on day eleven of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on August 03, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Sunisa Lee of Team United States competes during the Women’s Balance Beam Final on day eleven of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on August 03, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
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Suni Lee is gearing up for the gold again.

The Olympic gold medalist will return to elite gymnastics in preparation for the 2024 Games in Paris after she finishes the upcoming collegiate season at Auburn University, she announced Tuesday.

Lee, 19, won the gold medal in the all-around event at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, which took place last year after being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an Instagram video, Lee said she doesn’t want the Olympics to only be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Suni Lee competes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Suni Lee competes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“Thank you to my auburn family, you’ll forever have a special place in my heart,” Lee captioned the post. “Let’s make this season the best one yet.”

The Minnesota-born Lee gave Team U.S.A. its fifth consecutive gold medal in the all-around event at the Olympics. Her victory came as the 2016 winner, Simone Biles, supported from the stands after withdrawing to focus on her mental health.

Lee, the first Hmong-American gymnast to compete in the Olympics, also won the bronze medal in the uneven bars event at the 2020 Games.

She joined Auburn’s gymnastics team last fall after returning from the Olympics and won the balance beam event at the NCAA Championship in April.