Former Auburn gymnastics star Suni Lee back in action at U.S. Classic

It was always going to be an emotional return for Suni Lee.

The former Auburn gymnastics star who had the end of her collegiate career derailed by a kidney issue was back in action Saturday, competing at the U.S. Classic in Illinois as she continues her run at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

The first event Lee took part in was beam, where she scored a 14.500 — judging is different in elite gymnastics than it is in college, as gymnasts can log scores higher than a 10 depending on difficulty. After landing, Lee had a few words with her coach, Jess Graba, the brother of AU coach Jeff Graba, before hustling to cheer on her friend and fellow gymnast Jordan Chiles on bars.

Then the moment set in, as Lee had to wipe away some tears, realizing she was finally back to competing after months of recovery. She missed Auburn's final four meets of the season, with her last appearance as a Tiger coming in a Feb. 24 matchup against Georgia.

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Lee, still working to get up to full strength, didn't compete on floor and wasn't at full difficulty, but she did participate on vault. She scored a 13.500 there. All together, it qualified her for the upcoming U.S. Championships. She was initially going to do bars as well, but after doing enough to qualify through her first two events, she elected to hold off.

The five gymnasts chosen to represent Team USA in Paris will be decided at team trials in June 2024. Along with Lee, Simone Biles, who was also competing Saturday and finished with an all-around score of 59.100, will be pushing for a spot on the roster. Biles was the only gymnast at the event to have a better score on beam than Lee; she earned a 14.800.

"I feel like there's just a lot more in me," Lee told reporters Friday, according to Inside Gymnastics Magazine. "Before the diagnosis and all of that stuff, I was doing really good. I was coming up with new combinations (and) new skills, it would've been really cool. But that's definitely what's inspiring me, that I can do it. If I just get myself back to that pace, I'll be right on for (the) Olympics, hopefully."

Auburn commits Katelyn Jong and Marissa Neal took part in the U.S. Classic, too. Auburn's 2024 schedule has yet to be released, but the season is expected to begin in early January.

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Suni Lee: Former Auburn star returns to action at U.S. Classic