Even before she turned 22, Suni Lee had built a résumé few gymnasts in history could rival. With an all-around Olympic gold from Tokyo 2020, a team gold at Paris 2024, and a sweep of medals at the NCAA and World Championship levels, her name had become synonymous with precision and perseverance. Yet in a shocking twist that left her community stunned, the pride of St. Paul is now at the center of a troubling mystery, not for a new title, but because her bronze likeness has vanished from the city park that honored her.
Authorities confirmed that Lee’s commemorative statue, situated at Lake Phalen Regional Park, was stolen within the past 24 hours. Created to mark her gold medal win in Tokyo and unveiled on July 30, 2023, officially declared “Suni Lee Day” in St. Paul, the statue was both a symbol of athletic triumph and a nod to Lee’s deep ties to the Hmong-American community. Now, that symbol has been removed in what police are calling a deliberate act of vandalism. “We need your help. The statue of Suni Lee that resides at Lake Phalen has been stolen,” the Saint Paul Police Department posted. “The brass statue, along with the rock with her nameplate on it, was taken within the last day. We are actively working to find the statute.”
Lee’s family responded swiftly and with clarity. “Suni’s family is deeply saddened by the news of her statue being destroyed and removed from its original location. This senseless act of vandalism is not only heartbreaking but also a disgraceful crime. Destroying public property—especially one that holds such symbolic and historical significance—is truly deplorable.” Their words reflected the sorrow felt across St. Paul, where Lee’s achievements had been a point of pride for years.
We need your help. The statue of Suni Lee that resides at Lake Phalen has been stolen. The brass statue, along with the rock with her nameplate on it, were taken within the last day. We are actively working to find the statute.
If you have any information regarding Suni’s… pic.twitter.com/1TdrRmkgxA
— Saint Paul Police Department (@sppdmn) July 31, 2025
The artist behind the statue, Seexeng Lee, expressed his dismay. “I was dumbfounded, totally surprised, honestly heartbroken, because not just a beautiful art piece by itself. It’s not just that. It’s of someone that we all know and we all admire and we all I thought we all love, and so for that to happen, I’m just dumbfounded, just shocked,” he told FOX 9. Police have not yet determined a motive, though theories range from attempted resale to a possible prank. “I don’t think there’s anything that indicates that this was, like, targeted towards Suni herself or anything like that,” said Nikki Muehlhausen of the St. Paul Police Department. “Right now, that’s all under investigation. What this was, was it a prank? Is it someone is, you know, stealing it for, hoping to sell it for, you know, the metal we don’t really know.”
This is a developing story…
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