CHILES COLLECTS PRECIOUS MEDALS
Awards ‘are my armor,’ says gymnast, who excelled at worlds and has returned to UCLA with her confidence renewed
After the third time she wasn’t named to the U.S. women’s team for the world gymnastics championships, Jordan
Chiles began to doubt she’d ever add that distinction to her resume.
Chiles missed out on the 2017, 2018 and 2019 world competitions but earned a spot on the 2020 Olympic team by compiling the third-best score at the U.S. trials. She expected to take part in two events in the team competition in Tokyo but was summoned for all four events after superstar Simone Biles shockingly withdrew because of mental health concerns. Unlike her teammates, Chiles didn’t have world championship experience to rely on when she stepped in.
“They know the big stage. They know the crowds and everything like that,” Chiles said. “I was thinking: ‘I’m on the biggest stage in the world. This is crazy.’ ”
Contributing to a silver medal performance might have provided a satisfying end to Chiles’ elite career, a happily surreal farewell before she began her college career at UCLA. She thrived during her freshman year as a Bruin, earning three perfect-10 scores and first-team AllPac-12 Conference honors on the uneven bars and floor exercise, enjoying the camaraderie and freedom of college life even though UCLA didn’t qualify for the NCAA championships.
But she couldn’t shake the feeling she had missed out on something. Jumping back up to the elite level for another try at the world championships would be difficult because practice time is limited in college gymnastics and skills are less complex. But Chiles never has backed away from challenges.
“It did get to a point to where I was like, ‘You know, maybe worlds isn’t for me,’ ” she said. “But then I was able to
‘Each one is definitely a heartwarming thing. I couldn’t be more proud of myself.’
— JORDAN CHILES, on the medals she has won at the Olympics and the world championships