“3RD PLACE TEAM IN THE NATION LFG TIGERS🐯🫶🏼” captioned 24-year-old gymnast as Missouri finished third with a score of 197.2125 in the 2025 NCAA women’s gymnastics finals. This redshirt senior had a very important role to play in this finish, as she ensured that she dominated the beam every time she went up there. In the finals as well, she scored 9.9650 on beam routine, taking the event title. Now, this might not have been enough to defeat Jordan Chiles’ UCLA and Oklahoma for the 2025 NCAA title. But her recent action has left not just fans but Chiles gushing over her. What did she do?

Helen HU took to X on May 1 and posted two pictures in a black top that showed off her arms. No, it wasn’t the bicep flex! But she was flexing the ink she got over it. The two-time WCGA Balance Beam First Team All-American gymnast has gotten a tattoo on her upper left arm, and it’s not just any tattoo! Rather, she has got her entire beam routine inked. Yes, you heard that right! And just like us, even Jordan Chiles couldn’t stop herself, and the next thing you know, the Olympian quoted the tweet and wrote, “Iconic.” Well, honestly, don’t you think it’s the perfect tattoo for her?

After all, Helen Hu has been a phenomenal performer on the beam. She captured the 2025 NCAA national title on balance beam with a dazzling 9.9875 in the semifinals, becoming the first-ever individual NCAA champion in Missouri gymnastics history. Other than this, she is the only gymnast in the nation to earn three perfect 10.0 scores on beam in 2025. The Beam Queens’ lowest score was 9.800 this season, like just WOW! Her beam routine includes a lot of acrobatics, at times she is doing a 180 with her legs behind her back. The moonwalk on the beam with a violin-playing action in her hands adds an aesthetic feel to her gymnastics, and then the run-flip-perfect landing is just perfect. Thus, it makes sense why she would get it inked.

The tattoo aligns very well with her moves, like the symbol on the right represents the 180-degree split she does with her legs in the very beginning of her routine. Then there is also the symbol for her front handsprings, and so is one for the split leaps she does facing both sides, it looks like there is one for each.

Now, such a tattoo is bound to draw a lot of attention and praises from the fans, especially the ones with core gymnastics heart. Fans are putting the tattoo in the “Contender for coolest tattoo ever 😍” while others cannot just stop praising it.

Fans cannot stop obsessing over Helen Hu’s tattoo

Helen Hu might have once retired from the sport, but she returned, and now, with that tattoo on her arms and her performance throughout her NCAA season, she has forever immortalized herself in the history books of NCAA gymnastics. The beam is now a part of her, and she is now a part of the beam. Also, fans are not wrong to say, “None of us will never ever be as cool as Helen Hu, and we should accept that as a society.” Apart from being an absolute queen on the beam, the 24-year-old once went on an 11-month backpacking trip around the world with her older sister Elaine and came back rejuvenated to the sports which she thought of living.

One of the fans commented “talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular“. And are they wrong? After all she has bagged accolades such as, two-time WCGA Regular Season Balance Beam First Team All-American, 2023 WCGA Regular Season Balance Beam Second Team All-American, 2020 WCGA Regular Season Balance Uneven Bars Second Team All-American, 2020, 2025 SEC Event Specialist of the Year, 2025 NCAA Seattle Regional Beam Champion, 2025 SEC Beam Champion, Five-time SEC Event Specialist of the Week in 2020 which was the most of any gymnast in a single season in conference history. From her freshman year in 2020 through her redshirt senior year in 2025, she consistently earned spots on the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Academic Honor Roll.

“I’m OBSESSED with this! A beautiful tattoo for a beautiful routine 👏🏾” You cannot argue with this fan statement either. Just look at the acrobatics she uses in her beam routine – front handsprings, spit leaps (that too on both sides), and that too so flawlessly. Seeing the tattoo, another fan commented, “Queen stay doing queen things even in retirement.” While she came back from her retirement this year, we might not see her in the NCAA again, see she has utilized her 5th year. But there is also no confirmation of her retirement from the sport as such, but we do  know for sure – she will keep doing queen things.