Regardless of the outcome of the floor exercise final on Aug. 5, Jordan Chiles will leave Paris with immense pride — and an Olympic gold medal.
The first milestone was clinching the team gold medal they missed out on in Tokyo.
Chiles approached the competition with a laser focus – and a little bit less dancing than we’re used to seeing from her.
“Yes, I’ll have fun and do my little dances here and there, but this is a different kind of competition,” Chiles shared with NBC Olympics.
Chiles was tasked with doing all four events in the team final. The only other athlete with that much responsibility was the most decorated gymnast of all time, Simone Biles.
There was a lot of pressure that day, especially while competing in front of thousands of fans, including her family and a host of celebrities: Nicole Kidman, Spike Lee, Jason and Kylie Kelce, Keith Urban, Serena Williams, and Michael Phelps. Just to name a few.
“The biggest one that I was really shocked came to watch us was Queen Latifah. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh she’s sitting in the audience watching us, that’s so crazy,’” Chiles said. “We’ve been seen! I sometimes don’t realize how many people actually know who I am. I don’t think of myself as anybody famous.”
One might assume that performing in front of thousands of celebrities would be intimidating, but Chiles uses that as motivation to perform even better.
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Aside from a misstep on her beam mount, Chiles had one of her best competitions when it mattered most. One might say she looked as good as gold.
SEE MORE: Jordan Chiles boosts Team USA back to the gold medal
When Chiles struck her final pose on the floor, she couldn’t hold back her emotions.
Those tears resembled a culmination of personal struggles, relentless effort, and a deep sense of pride.
“I was very proud of myself that I was able to make my floor routine because obviously on beam I had a fall,” Chiles said. “I just wanted to support the team as much as I could and knew that I could do that in my floor routine. The tears were everything that I’ve gone through. I’ve had a few really tough years since 2021; losing people, going to college, figuring out life.
“I knew at that moment once I made my floor that Simone was going to go out and do her job and we were hopefully going to have that gold in our hands. I think the biggest thing was realizing that I had finally done something and people have recognized it.”
The admiration and recognition on social media since becoming an Olympic gold medalist is something Chiles will remember for the rest of her life.
Despite her humility – she insists that she’s “still the same Jordan” – Chiles has had her idols on notice since before the Games began.
After being named to the Olympic team, Megan Thee Stallion sent Chiles flowers. Then just days before she was set to leave for Paris, Chiles received a mysterious, unlabeled package.
“I needed to have my mom bring me some stuff while we were at our camp in Katy, Texas and I was like, ‘Hey can you bring me some stuff before we leave?’ She was like, ‘Yeah, there’s also a package here for you that I’m going to bring,’” Chiles recalled. “Beyoncé had sent me a personalized vinyl. It’s from her new album Cowboy Carter and had this whole personal message on it. I was in awe. I was in shock. I was like, ‘There’s no way this girl knows who I am!’”
The reality is, the world knows Chiles’ name now.
Chiles is now a two-time Olympic medalist with Team USA, but still has one more medal opportunity ahead of her – one that she can earn all on her own.
Enter the floor exercise final. The final event of artistic gymnastics at the Paris Games.
Chiles will be the very last gymnast to compete, which admittedly she is a little nervous about – but as one of the most entertaining performers in Paris – there’s also no better person to close out the event.
And while a medal is certainly possible, Chiles’ goals are more simple: land all of her tumbling passes in bounds, get credit for her leaps, and most importantly have fun.
“I just want to go out there and be the best Jordan I can be,” Chiles said. “Knowing I didn’t make an event final in Tokyo, this is definitely a 'Redemption Tour' for myself.”
