The NCAA women’s gymnastics championships are traditionally a gathering of elite gymnasts who compete at just below world-class international events.
But swinging on the bars and balancing on the beam this week in Fort Worth is Olympic all-around gold medalist Sunisa Lee competing for Auburn. And even though he won one event, the competition is so strong this year that he only finished second in the all-around.
College gymnastics wasn’t often an option for elite gymnasts who were Olympic gold medalists in the past. Opportunities to feature in Wheaties boxes and TV commercials meant that all-around gold medalists like Mary Lou Retton, Nastia Liukin, and Gabby Douglas lost their eligibility for college competition.
But because of new rules that allow college athletes to benefit financially From their names, looks, and likenesses, Lee and others can compete in NCAA events while earning income from their Olympic victories.
While a few Olympians, such as Jamie Dantzscher and Bridget Sloan, have participated in NCAA championships after their international careers, Lee is the first female all-around Olympic gold medalist to compete in college.
Trinity Thomas of Florida was the gymnast who beat Lee all-around at the NCAAs on Thursday. Thomas himself was an Olympic competitor, but left the run With an ankle injury last spring.
His victory in the NCAAs was capped at a perfect 10 in his ground exercise win.
Thomas also won the uneven bars, Lee won the balance beam and Jaedyn Rucker of Utah won the vault.
Three other 2021 Team USA members are competing in Fort Worth: Grace McCallum for Utah, Jordan Chiles for UCLA, and Jade Carey, who is fourth overall for Oregon State.
Lee gave Chiles a pep talk for calming him down and helping him get second place.
Lee had planned to go to Auburn before the Games and was unexpectedly awarded a gold medal after Simone Biles left the all-round competition. with mental health problems He didn’t change his plans. “No one intended for me to win the all-encompassing gold; I didn’t want that to happen,” Lee told The Montgomery Advertiser. “So it was like I had made up my mind to go to Auburn.”
Lee is coached in Auburn by personal trainer Jess Graba’s twin brother, Jeff Graba.
“I think it’s a completely different ball game if you were 17 in 2020 and it wasn’t for the NIL and that sort of thing,” Jeff Graba told The Advertiser, referring to the new name, image, and likeness rules. “I don’t know if he can really go to college with all the sponsorship deals he’s going to have under his feet.”
The competition continues Saturday with Thomas and the team finals, which will include Florida, Lee, Utah and Oklahoma as well as Auburn. For Auburn, it guarantees the highest finish ever in the event, thanks to a small fraction of the Olympic gold medalist on his roster.