When Jordan Chiles’ bronze medal was stripped, she was heartbroken. As she put it, “The biggest thing that was taken from me was…” Yeah, pretty tough stuff. Everyone thought she’d never bounce back, but Jordan came out swinging, swag and all! After a well-deserved break from social media and a little mental health TLC, she made an announcement that had everyone’s jaws on the floor: “I am returning back to UCLA to represent the Bruins for my two remaining years of college.” Since then, she’s been proving at UCLA, that she’s not just fighting for redemption—she’s showing she deserves that bronze medal back… and maybe a little more swag after her recent performance!

On February 2, despite being under the weather with a fever that spiked to 104 degrees earlier in the week, Jordan Chiles turned in a flawless performance. She earned a perfect 10 with her Prince-themed floor routine to help UCLA upset No. 5 Michigan State. She made illness look like an afterthought, leading the Bruins to a 197.300-197.200 victory. Her performance was key in extending UCLA’s streak of scoring 197 or higher to four meets.

UCLA entered the final rotation trailing by a point, but they brought the drama and then some. Emily Lee kicked things off with a solid 9.875, and the team just kept turning up the heat. Brooklyn Moors and Chae Campbell posted career-high 9.975s, helping UCLA finish with a nation-leading 49.800 on the floor. Despite early struggles on uneven bars and vault, the Bruins dug deep. As for Jordan Chiles, while she made everything look effortless on the floor, you have to wonder—how hard was it for her to adjust, both mentally and technically, and get back into competition mode so quickly after all the struggles?

Recently, Jordan Chiles opened up about her adjustment to getting back into competition mode after a whirlwind few months, in a conversation with International Gymnast Online magazine. She shared that the experience of being on the Gold Over America Tour played a big role in shifting her mindset. “The tour kind of helped me change my mindset. I was doing school, some online classes, and other stuff, trying to get my mind and my body in the flow of everything,” she said.

But coming back to competition wasn’t without its challenges. “When I first came back, it was kind of hard because of everything that had been happening, from Paris to the tour. It was just very overwhelming.” Despite the challenges, Chiles reflected on how she found strength in the support around her. “I knew I had the team and the support behind me, helping me these past few months get my mindset back into, ‘OK, we compete every weekend, we have classes, and all of this stuff.’ It’s been a whirlwind, but I wouldn’t change it.”

Before rejoining UCLA, Chiles had already been on a whirlwind of her own, having traveled across the country for the Gold Over America Tour alongside Simone Biles and other top gymnasts in a 30-city arena tour. Her return to UCLA marked a new chapter, one where, despite the physical and mental strain, she’s continued to find balance. “My body is just now telling me, ‘Jordan, you’re getting old (laughs), you’re getting up there,'” she joked. “But I can say it’s different coming back this year than it was my sophomore year.”

It’s clear that with each challenge, Chiles has been adapting, growing, and still soaring to new heights in her gymnastics journey. At the same time, ever since her return to UCLA, she’s been putting in the work to reclaim her stripped bronze medal, especially now that the case has taken a new turn.

Jordan Chiles vs. the system

In Paris, Jordan Chiles was living the dream—helping Team USA claim the gold, landing a bronze in floor exercise, and feeling on top of the gymnastics world. But then came the plot twist: that bronze medal? Yeah, it was stripped away. Why? Apparently, the appeal she filed was just seconds past the deadline. It was a full-blown legal drama. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) handed the bronze over to Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu, and Chiles was left shaking her head. But here’s where things get interesting.

Jordan Chiles isn’t the type to let things slide, especially when it comes to something as important as an Olympic medal. She’s now taking this case to the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, because why not, right? At this point, she’s playing the long game. Her legal team is challenging the fairness of the arbitration process, particularly calling out the involvement of Hamid G. Gharavi, the arbitrator responsible for the ruling. Gharavi’s longstanding ties to Romania have raised serious concerns about his impartiality.

Chiles’ team is adamant that the tribunal showed bias, and they’re pushing for the decision to be reassessed. As they put it, any other conclusion would undermine the whole concept of fairness in arbitration. Fans have rallied behind her, supporting her unyielding determination. It’s not just a battle for a medal—it’s a fight for justice, and it looks like Chiles is going to take it all the way.