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With Simone Biles not participating, Sunisa Lee put on a performance of a lifetime as she won the gold medal in the individual all-around gymnastics competition at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo on Thursday (July 29).
The 18-year-old Lee beat out Rebeca Andrade of Brazil with a score of 57.433, becoming the fifth-straight American to win gold in the event. Angelina Melnikova, who is representing the Russian Olympic Committee, took home the bronze medal.
"This is a crazy experience," Lee told NBC's Hoda Kotb after her victory. "Like it doesn't even feel like real life. I'm going to be like, 'Oh my gosh, am I an Olympic gold medalist?! No!"
"I was telling myself nothing more, nothing less, just do the same thing that I always do, telling myself to breathe because my heart was beating so fast," she said. "I was so nervous, I just tell myself to go out there and give it my all because, at this point, there's no turning back."
Lee's victory comes one day after she helped Team USA take home the silver medal in the team competition on Wednesday.
"The silver medal yesterday is something we're so proud of, and now this one, I'm just like super proud," she said. "I didn't think I would be here ever, but this is a dream come true, and I've worked so hard for it.