PARIS — Sunisa Lee is the reigning Olympic champion and currently one of the top three gymnasts in the world.
Yet the gap between her and No. 1 — fellow American Simone Biles — is so great it almost defies Lee’s comprehension.
“She will go into a pass and I’ll just be like, 'How the heck does she do that?'” said Lee. “And [US Coach] Cecile [Landi] will say, ‘I don’t know.’”
A lot of people don’t know, or even understand. That includes many Americans who tune in to gymnastics once during the Olympics, such as for Thursday’s all-around competition where Biles is the significant favorite, in part, because of her ability to raise the difficulty of her routines.