Leading up to the 2024 Paris Olympics, Jordan Chiles captivated fans with her charming personality and determined spirit. Having made her first Olympic appearance at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Chiles played a pivotal role in securing the all-around silver medal for Team USA.
Chiles returned from Paris as a gold medalist in the team all-around gymnastics event, as controversy surrounding a certain bronze medal has taken social media by storm. Medal or not, Jordan remains a top contender in her field, and here is why.
Early Career
Chiles began gymnastics at age six when she enrolled in recreational gymnastics classes. Once her potential became evident, Jordan and her family nurtured her talent, leading to her debut at age 11 as a junior elite gymnast. This was just one year after qualifying for the Junior Olympic Nationals.
In 2016, Jordan set her sights on the Rio Olympics, finishing third all-around at the Olympic Trials, but unfortunately fell short of her goal of being selected for the Olympic team. Following this setback, Jordan went on to win medals in various regional and national competitions.
During this period, a friendship blossomed between Jordan Chiles and fellow gymnast Simone Biles, which ultimately led to Chiles moving to Texas in 2019 to train under Cecile and Laurent Landi—a move that Jordan has described as a turning point in her career. Through this opportunity Chiles was able to train alongside other world class athletes with Biles continuing to provide sisterly guidance and support.
Tokyo Olympics
Leading up to the 2021 Tokyo Games, Jordan had a breakthrough year. She finished second at the Winter Cup and the U.S. Classic and third overall at the U.S. National Championships, securing one of her lifelong goals: a chance to represent her country on the global stage as part of the U.S. Olympic Women’s Gymnastics Team.
Alongside Sunisa Lee, Simone Biles, and Grace McCallum, Jordan Chiles aimed to defend the team all-around gold medal achieved by the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics teams in 2012 and 2016. However, the team faced an unforeseen challenge when Simone Biles withdrew from her events before the Women’s Team Final to protect her mental and physical health.
With medals on the line, Jordan Chiles took on two additional events—uneven bars and beam—and scored 14.166 and 13.433, respectively, keeping Team USA in medal contention. Although the team gold ultimately went to the Russian Olympic Committee, Jordan’s resilient performance across four events helped secure the silver medal for Team USA.
Paris Olympics
As the 2024 Paris Olympics drew near, Chiles continued to hone her craft, even winning gold medals on uneven bars and floor exercise at the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Tournament in 2023. When speaking about Paris, Chiles referred to the experience as the “Redemption Tour.” Chiles, one of four returning gymnasts from the 2021 Olympic team, brought back gold in the Women’s All-Around event and even qualified for her first individual event final at the Olympics.
During the floor exercise finals, Chiles finished her routine fifth overall with a score of 13.666. Upon receiving the score, her coach, Cecile Landi, submitted an inquiry, arguing that the judges did not give credit for the difficulty of a skill included in Chiles’s routine. The inquiry was upheld, resulting in an additional 0.100 being added to Chiles’s initial score.
With a total score of 13.766, Chiles was awarded the bronze medal on the day of the event, beating out Romanian gymnasts Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who both had a score of 13.700. This led to the iconic moment during the medal ceremony where Simone and Jordan can be seen bowing down to Rebeca Andrade. When asked about the moment, Jordan revealed that it was her idea to pose this way to give Rachel her “flowers.” This was also the first time in history that the gymnastics podium was held by three Black gymnasts.
The Bronze Medal
Unfortunately, due to a judging error, Chiles’s medal was later contested and taken away in a decision still being disputed by USA Gymnastics to this day. This marked the first time in Olympic Gymnastics history that a medal has been stripped from an athlete for reasons relating to protocol error. Following the heartbreak, Jordan took time away from social media but has since released a statement.
Many rallied their support behind the gymnast, with Flava-Flav even making Chiles a custom bronze clock. Former Olympic Gymnast Ali Raisman, who also underwent the inquiry process during the 2012 London Olympics for her beam routine, weighed in as well stating that the decision was “unfair and cruel”.
What’s Next?
Will we see Jordan Chiles on our screens in the summer of 2028? When asked about her intentions to compete, Chiles responded: “For ‘28, you never know. You might see me in gymnastics, or you might see me in a different sport. I’m not going to say what sport. But you could still see me competing, I’ll give you that.”
Through all the ups and downs in her career, Jordan Chiles has remained a resilient force in gymnastics. Her playful attitude and positive energy have drawn many to admire her for her talent and perseverance both on and off the stage. With her uplifting affirmations and strong support network, Jordan continues to be a role model for young women of color to reach for new heights in the face of adversity. Regardless of what the future brings, Jordan Chiles will forever remain That Girl.
