Having once shared mats with the golden girls, Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles, this gymnastics star has seen what it takes to be the best in the business. She knows it’s hardly as easy as it looks. And now, after giving the elite gymnastics world a solid shot, this rising U.S. star, who was the pride of Cecile and Laurent Landi’s World Championship Center till last year, has decided to take a step back. Yes, instead of chasing Olympic dreams, she’s gearing up for something new, still in a leotard, just a different kind. Any guesses on what her fresh start might be?

We’re talking about none other than Nicole Desmond. If you remember well, she has been a frequent face at some of the major elite gymnastics competitions for the past few years. She made her junior elite debut at the City of Lights Invitational in 2023. However, she first stepped on the mats as a senior in 2024, at the Core Hydration Classic, by which time, she had shifted to WCC, under the Landis. However, within a year of that, she has already decided to switch paths.

April 28, Nicole added an Instagram post announcing her early return to collegiate gymnastics, as the gymnast is all set to compete for the Oklahoma Sooners. She wrote, “Hey guys!! Just wanted to hop on and give a quick update. After much consideration, I have decided to go to OU a year early.” Yes, in September last year, Nicole had already announced that she had verbally committed to join the University of Oklahoma on a full athletic scholarship. But now, she’s going there a year earlier than she initially envisioned.

Donning a red Sooner ensemble in the image, Nicole remarked, “This means the end of my elite career for now, but I am so excited for the future.” After all, after the Sooners have lifted the NCAA title this year, she’s already joining a star side. And will have some big work on her hands for the next year. And that’s exactly all she is looking forward to, “I’m so grateful for my elite career but I’m even more grateful for the opportunities to come!! Thank you to my family, coaches, and teammates for the support and guidance you gave me! Boomer Sooner! ☝🏻❤️”

Well, Nicole has been switching things up quite a bit in the past few years when it comes to her gymnastics journey. She has changed clubs four times recently. She started at Parkettes National Gymnastics Center, then moved over to First State Gymnastics for a while, headed back to Parkettes, and then made a move to WCC in 2024. But even that didn’t last as she’s now training at fourth place, which is Brandy Johnson’s Global Gymnastics. And it’s not just her club choices that’ve been in flux! It seems like she’s also been rethinking the type of gymnastics she wants to stick with, as she has now decided to come to college early. All this after 2024 perhaps didn’t turn out as she expected.

Nicole gave elite gymnastics a chance in 2024

Well, Nicole was just 16 years old last season when she started out her season as a junior elite at the 2024 American Classic. She had a strong beam finish in that outing, coming 7th on the apparatus and 8th overall, as she went up against some of America’s giant gymnasts like Jade Carey, Ashlee Sullivan, and others.

However, then came the bigger challenge: the 2024 Core Hydration Classic where she faced some of America’s top dog gymnasts, including Simone Biles. Yet Nicole was able to finish in the top 10 on the Floor Exercise apparatus, coming 8th there. As the upper spots were bagged by seasoned names like Biles, Shilese Jones, Kaliya Lincoln, Carey, etc.

Yet, Nicole wasn’t one to be disheartened. After not even a single podium finish across these meets, she still competed enthusiastically at the 2024 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships. She knew this was her last shot at the Olympic trials. But even after giving her best, she was far from the top spots. No wonder, she did not make it to the team, while Young Hezly Rivera sure did.

But now, she is not planning a comeback anytime soon. At least for now, she is heading to the Sooners squad, hoping to stack some real achievements on her resume. What do you think of Nicole’s call? Let us know below!