“Cried”: Jordan Chiles’ Mother Voices Thoughts on Gymnastics Amidst Daughter’s Continuous Fight for Bronze Medal

Jordan Chiles, after the season she has had, is all set to return to the UCLA gymnastics team for the 2025 season. After a long hiatus due to the complexities surrounding her Olympic experience, Jordan will be back for another collegiate season. "I am returning to UCLA to represent the Bruins for my two remaining years of college," said Chiles. And why wouldn't she be? She, after all, holds two NCAA golds and one silver already.

In the wake of her announcement, Jordan's mother, Gina Chiles, has been dealing with a cacophony of feelings. She recently went on to pen a poignant message for Jordan. She wrote, "I may or may not have stayed up until 2 am re-watching the 2021 & 2024 Olympics & Olympic Trials. Then topped it off with a Jordan UCLA run. And cried. Like they didn't already happen. Still incredible to me... is THAT GIRL!" The touching tweet is not just about her return to UCLA.

It comes in light of recent developments around Jordan's contested Paris Olympics bronze medal! Jordan was initially awarded a bronze medal for her floor exercise, but a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decided to strip the medal. The crux of the issue lies in a procedural misstep. An appeal by the USA Gymnastics was deemed late, resulting in Jordan losing the medal to Romanian gymnast Ana Maria Bărbosu. Yet, the saga is far from over.

Jordan has filed a second appeal with the Swiss Federal Tribunal in the light of new evidence emerging. The new video evidence seems to validate her coach's inquiry time. The last appeal made was quashed despite video evidence having come from the raw footage of the camera crew that was recording the events as a part of Simone Biles' documentary series. The controversy continues in full stride, but Jordan Chiles is not one to crumble. She is the "that girl," after all.

Despite it all, Jordan is on an unstoppable journey. Jordan Chiles, despite the labyrinth of emotions, has decided to maintain a jam-packed schedule post-Paris Olympics. She was recently seen at Lumen Field, where she had the honor of raising the iconic 12th Man Flag at a Seattle Seahawks game. The Seahawks proudly wrote on X, "An Olympic gymnast from Vancouver, Washington. Jordan Chiles is today's 12 Flag Raiser!" The moment was more than a mere ceremonial gesture; it showed the world that Jordan was slowly becoming an American sports hero. The appearance is, of course, special, but there is another element making it interesting.

The appearance at the Seahawks game came in between the already packed 30-stop Gold Over America Tour (GOAT). After Paris, Jordan dove headfirst into this pop-themed gymnastic world of Simone Biles. Jordan's schedule reads something like this. On September 21, she performed at the opening show of the Gold Over America Tour in San Francisco. Then, the very next day, on September 22, she made a special appearance at the Seattle Seahawks game. Following her appearance at the game, Jordan Chiles did not take any pit stops.