US Olympic gymnast Suni Lee revealed she was the victim of a recent racist attack while she was out in Los Angeles with a group of friends.
The 18-year-old gold medalist detailed the incident to PopSugar, stating it occurred one week before the interview, which was published Wednesday. According to Lee, the attack took place at the end of a night out with a group of friends, who are all of Asian descent.
While they were waiting for an Uber, a car drove by with people yelling racist slurs such as “ching chong” and “go back to where they come from,” Lee said. She also stated someone from the passing vehicle hit her arm with pepper spray.
“I was so mad,” Lee told PopSugar. “But there was nothing I could do or control because they skirted off,’ she recalled. ‘I didn’t do anything to them, and having the reputation, it’s so hard because I didn’t want to do anything that could get me into trouble. I just let it happen.”
PopSugar wrote that Lee called her gymnastics coach Jess Graba following the incident.
Earlier this year, Lee became the first Hmong-American Olympic gold medalist, winning the individual all-around event at the Tokyo Olympics. Lee was the fifth straight American to win the Summer Games event, helping to fill the void after her teammate Simone Biles withdrew for mental health purposes.
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US Olympic gymnast Suni Lee revealed she was the victim of a recent racist attack while she was out in Los Angeles with a group of friends.
The 18-year-old gold medalist detailed the incident to PopSugar, stating it occurred one week before the interview, which was published Wednesday. According to Lee, the attack took place at the end of a night out with a group of friends, who are all of Asian descent.
While they were waiting for an Uber, a car drove by with people yelling racist slurs such as “ching chong” and “go back to where they come from,” Lee said. She also stated someone from the passing vehicle hit her arm with pepper spray.
“I was so mad,” Lee told PopSugar. “But there was nothing I could do or control because they skirted off,’ she recalled. ‘I didn’t do anything to them, and having the reputation, it’s so hard because I didn’t want to do anything that could get me into trouble. I just let it happen.”
PopSugar wrote that Lee called her gymnastics coach Jess Graba following the incident.
Earlier this year, Lee became the first Hmong-American Olympic gold medalist, winning the individual all-around event at the Tokyo Olympics. Lee was the fifth straight American to win the Summer Games event, helping to fill the void after her teammate Simone Biles withdrew for mental health purposes.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]