Sunisa Lee, the 1st Hmong American Olympic gymnast, wins gold in all-around final

Sunisa Lee has made history at the Tokyo Olympics.

The American gymnast won gold in the women's all-around competition Thursday. She is the first Hmong American Olympic gymnast ever, CNN notes, and her "name is a unifying force in her community," Time writes.

"I've coached Hmong women for many years and I've had to beg their parents to let them play," Como High School athletic director Koua Yang told Time. "For an athlete like Suni and her family to break out of that is incredible because it takes so much support."

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The historic win came after Simone Biles dropped out of the all-around competition, citing mental health concerns. Lee became the fifth American woman in a row to earn the Olympic title, the Associated Press notes, and according to CNN, Biles was watching from the stands when she did so.

Lee previously told People that her becoming the first Hmong American Olympic gymnast "means a lot to the Hmong community ... and to just be an inspiration to other Hmong people [means] a lot to me too."