He failed to make the world championship team and had difficulties in the consolation competition, the Pan American Games. Jordanian Chillies She seemed to be on the fringes of the Olympic conversation eight months ago.
“We told her you never know until it’s over, so keep working, keep your head up,” said Cecile Landi, the U.S. head coach who also coaches Chiles. “She did the work and today she’s an Olympic champion.”
The UCLA star won her first Olympic gold medal and competed in all four events during the team finals Tuesday at Bercy Arena to help the United States get back on top after a silver medal in Tokyo.
Among her teammates seeking collective and personal redemption after Tokyo, Chiles is just beginning to get hers. She can add to her tally on Monday during the women’s floor final.
Before she fell on beam during Tuesday’s team final, Chiles’ Olympics looked like a stark turnaround from her performance three years ago. She came into the Tokyo Olympics having performed every routine for a year. Then, she made a major form lapse on bars during qualifying and fell on beam. She did not advance to any event finals.
With three more years of experience and two seasons of college competition to add to her courage, Chiles produced a stellar qualification Sunday to exorcise her Olympic demons in Paris. She nailed every event and finished third in the all-around. She should have been in position to advance to the individual final.
The problem was that her American teammates Simone Biles and Suni Lee They finished first and second, respectively.
Countries are limited to two athletes in each final of an event. The rule was intended to promote fairness but is often criticised for leaving top competitors out of medal contention.
Read more: How Jordan Chiles can ‘change the game’ with his Beyoncé Olympic routine
Chiles is understandably not a fan of this rule, she said Tuesday after the team final. She was in position to qualify for three individual finals, but instead will compete only once more on floor, where she qualified third with a 13.833. In addition to her all-around qualifying score, which Lee beat by .067 points, Chiles was fourth on vault but did not advance because Biles and Jade Carey qualified in first and third place, respectively.
“It’s devastating for her,” USA Gymnastics head coach Chellsie Memmel said after qualifying. “It’s the nature of the sport… It just so happened that today was Suni’s day. And it’s unfortunate for Jo, but I know they’re all going to stick together, support each other.”
Chiles did just that during Tuesday’s competition when she leapt into the air after Biles landed her vault. When Chiles recovered from her fall on beam with a stellar floor routine, Lee gave her a “high ten” and called the performance that had a packed crowd clapping along to the beat “fire.” Lee, Carey, Chiles and Hezly Rivera, who did not compete in the team final, held hands as Biles took the floor for the final routine and leaped in unison as the 38-time world and Olympic medalist landed her final acrobatic pass to win the gold medal.
When Chiles received his medal on the podium, he grabbed it with both hands and brought it to his eyes.
“Being able to be a part of winning this gold medal and everything I just experienced has been an incredible experience,” Chiles said. “This smile will always be a smile, because it has been an incredible experience.”
In addition to her consistent, engaging routines, Chiles has earned the unofficial role of show-stopper. USA Gymnastics chief strategic officer Alicia Sacramone Quinn called her “that person who can change the dynamic in the room.” Her infectious energy made her the perfect fit for UCLA, where she won two NCAA individual titles in 2023 on bars and floor before deferring her enrollment to train for the Olympics.
The way Chiles has maintained her energetic collegiate persona while also competing on the national team has only better prepared her for bigger moments.
“Something that’s really important in our program is that each individual is able to blossom and show up as their true authentic self,” UCLA coach Janelle McDonald said. “I feel like when you’re able to show up as your full, authentic self, you’re really going to be able to bring to the people around you in a way that you can’t when you’re kind of closed off.”
“Jordan is a perfect example of that. She’s very authentic and she goes out on the dance floor and shows the world who she is, and that’s joyful, fun and passionate.”
Chiles, always a great performer, looked directly into the television camera during her final team floor routine and winked. During qualification, her performance had Snoop Dogg bobbing his head to the soundtrack of Beyoncé hits. He gave her a standing ovation when she struck her final pose.
Chiles will have one more chance in Paris to get the crowd on its feet.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.