Suni Lee Wins Viral Olympic Trend By Making Fun Of Her Fall During Balance Beam Final

Team USA’s Sunisa “Suni” Lee amused her fans after joining the hilarious “I didn’t make the cut” social media trend. Taking to her TikTok page on Tuesday (August 6), the 21-year-old shared a clip of the moment she fell during her balance beam final on Monday (August 5), quickly becoming a viral internet sensation.

Suni wrote as a caption featured in her TikTok video, which amassed over 16.2 million views: “Unfortunately I was selected for the Olympics.” 

In the video, the gymnast included a replay of her falling in slow motion to a remixed version of “The Star Spangled Banner.” 

“I think the beam was cursed, how did Simone Biles fall down and then u, I do hope u r ok,” a person commented in reference to Simone Biles’ unexpected slip on the balance beam, which cost her a medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics Games.

Team USA’s Sunisa “Suni” Lee amused her fans after joining the hilarious “I didn’t make the cut” social media trend

Image credits: sunisalee

Image credits: Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post

A TikTok user wrote: “I love this generation of athletes.” 

“This TikTok deserves gold,” someone added.

A person shared: “It’s okay bestie the beam was in the way.”

Taking to her TikTok page on Tuesday (August 6), the 21-year-old shared a clip of the moment she fell 

Image credits: Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

@luciamecchi_♬ Star Spangled (Bass Boosted) – SNC

“The British announcer was like ‘And she’s off….AND NOT VERY GRACEFULLY’ like ma’am come in,” a netizen argued.

A separate individual chimed in: “You’re so iconic for posting this hahahahahaha.”

The “I didn’t make the cut” trend on social media features athletes or individuals who used to practice a sport or discipline showcasing their humorous and often exaggerated fails at that activity.

Suni fell during her balance beam final on Monday (August 5), quickly becoming a viral internet sensation

Image credits: sunisalee

This trend has been characterized by videos or photos where people demonstrate their lack of skill or the comical mishaps they encounter while attempting to perform a sport they once trained in. 

Despite her fall off the balance beam, Suni earned a score of 13.100 and ended up in sixth place overall during the balance beam final,People reported on Tuesday.

@sunisalee_😭🥲🥲♬ Star Spangled (Bass Boosted) – SNC

After the balance beam final, the gymnast reportedly said that she was “disappointed” by her performance and that she felt “like [she has] so much more to prove on beam.” 

She told People: “Every single time I get to the final, I can just never do the routine that I want to do, but that’s just the mental side of it.

“So, I just need to go and do the work and put all the effort in and maybe one day you’ll have it.” 

“Unfortunately I was selected for the Olympics,” Suni humorously wrote

Image credits: Eurosport

Image credits: Eurosport

Suni also added: “[I was] so tired and then I felt like I hadn’t done beam in a while just because I can’t keep track of my days while I’ve been here.”

“The pressure was definitely on today.”

Nevertheless, Suni’s fall didn’t prevent her from earning a gold and two bronze medals at the Paris Games.

The athlete was previously not sure if she would make it to the Olympics after she was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in 2023. 

Simone Biles also fell during her performance and earned a 13.100

Image credits: Eurosport

Image credits: Eurosport

Suni told People that the Paris Games has been her “redemption tour from the last Olympics” and that she is “trying to give myself grace for not being, I guess fully back to normal Suni.”

The Minnesota native admitted: “I think everything just means so much more because I didn’t think that I would be here.

“And just knowing that I was able to overcome everything and never gave up was probably the most special moment, I guess for me, in winning all of those medals.”

The “I didn’t make the cut” trend on social media sees people showcasing their humorous and often exaggerated fails in sports

@mandiemon40 @little miss ♬ Star Spangled (Bass Boosted) – SNC

@season_000 🥺 #fyp#viral#comedyvideo#humor#juegosolimpicos#olympics#usa#eeuu#francia#china♬ Star Spangled (Bass Boosted) – SNC

Simone Biles also fell during her performance and earned a 13.100, telling reporters in the aftermath of the event that the unusual silence in the arena affected her.

“Beam final is always the most stressful,” the most decorated US gymnast in Olympics history said. “But usually, we have like music or background noise, whatever that may be.”

Simone continued: “Honestly, we do better in environments when there’s noise going on because it feels most like practice. 

This trend has been characterized by videos or photos where people demonstrate their lack of skill or comical mishaps

@tevamccrary7#olympics2024paris#olympictrackteam♬ Star Spangled (Bass Boosted) – SNC

“So today, you could hear some of the Android ringtones going off, the photo clickers, whatever that was.”

She called the final “odd” and described the environment as “weird and awkward.”

Italian gymnasts Alice D’Amato and Manila Esposito both made it on the podium — with Alice taking the gold and Manila with the bronze. Chinese gymnast Yaqin Zhou ended up with the silver. 

Suni’s awkward blunder on the beam continued to spark amusement from fans

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