Calls Mount for Jordan Chiles’ Hot Take on UCLA College Football: “He Was Lying”

Remember how the 2024 Paris Olympics left us all in awe? Watching the crème de la crème of the sporting world put their best foot forward is always dazzling. One of the magical moments was watching Jordan Chiles and Co. reclaim their throne with an Olympic gold in the women’s team all-around finals in the French capital. But this opens the floodgates to how difficult the sport is. Surely, it wouldn’t be easy to accomplish what many of the elite gymnasts can, right?

So, does this factor contribute to the difficulty of the sport? Or are the precise execution and flawless routines playing a massive role? Every sport requires a certain amount of athletic prowess, training, mental fortitude, and more. If you ask athletes if their sport is the toughest of them all, they’re bound to agree. However, this debate took a hilarious turn when the 23-year-old asked a fellow UCLA athlete to share their two cents. Let’s see what really happened.

Jordan Chiles adds fuel to a fiery debate

The Olympian has spent most of her life perfecting her art and has represented her nation on the world’s grandest stage not once but twice. But after a tumultuous stint in the French capital, the gymnast is gradually making her much-anticipated return to the collegiate gymnastics circuit. On December 8, a fan posted a fun interaction between Jordan Chiles and UCLA Bruins Linebacker Oluwafemi Oladejo. The gymnast asked, “What is harder, gymnastics or football?” The footballer sported a cheeky smile at the Olympian and the camera before responding, “I mean, football, I mean, let’s be real. You know what I’m saying?” 

The Olympian couldn’t hide the disbelief off her face. When Oladejo caught a glimpse, he asked her to elaborate on why gymnastics is harder. The 23-year-old confidently stated, “Well, in the Google of all Googles, gymnastics is the hardest sport in all of the world, but in gymnastics, you have the ability to actually have a different mindset than football.” She drove her point home by suggesting that all they do in football is throw it around. However, in gymnastics, they have to flip on a four-inch piece of wood.

This caught Oladejo by surprise, but Jordan Chiles seemed convinced by her analysis. So she asked him one more question, “I don’t know, can you flip on a four-inch piece of wood?” It goes to show the Olympian believes that gymnastics is a lot harder than football. But is it that easy to determine which sport surpasses the other? Each boasts different elements that are incomparable, but here are a couple of factors to consider.

When it comes to training, an elite gymnast spends around 40 hours per week in the gym. In fact, artistic gymnasts, like the 23-year-old, often tend to have the highest training volume given how they need to prepare for numerous apparatus. On the other hand, NFL players tend to train five days a week, with Tuesdays being their ‘day off’. However, some days at training can be more intense compared to others, especially if they have travel plans for away games or need rehab due to injuries. Even though there isn’t a right answer, fans seem to have picked a side.

The gymnastics community wholeheartedly agrees with the Olympian

Even though Jordan Chiles asked Oluwafemi Oladejo a lighthearted question, it took the internet by storm. Numerous fans were just as amused by the linebacker’s response as the gymnast. One fan exclaimed, “He knew he was lying 💀” Oladejo looked confident when he responded. But this fan wasn’t buying it. Another fan couldn’t help but point out, “when she asked ‘can you flip’- were you silent or were you silenced,” Turns out we’re not the only ones who found this interaction hilarious.

The gymnast stands tall at 4’11”, but her height didn’t stop her from confidently shutting down the linebacker’s pointers. She even asked Oladejo if he could flip on a 4-inch piece of wood. The linebacker immediately challenged the 23-year-old to a duel on the spot. Unfortunately, it took another funny turn when he admitted he didn’t know how to flip. This only led fans to believe that the argument he made wasn’t strong enough from the get-go.

A fan pointed out, “also gymnastics is a part of the Olympics, not football 🫢” Jordan Chiles has contested in the Summer Games twice and earned a silver team all-around medal in Tokyo and a shiny gold team all-around medal in Paris. Another fan simply stated, “Jordan Chiles has spoken 🤭” Watching the 23-year-old confidently note down her points ended the debate for these fans.

After her rough individual stint in the French capital, the 23-year-old was excited to return to UCLA. She wanted to contest in the collegiate gymnastics circuit. However, she was afraid of being treated differently because she represented the nation on the world’s biggest stage. On the other hand, the wholesome interaction with Oladejo showcased that the gymnast had nothing to worry about.

One fan confessed, “Football is something anybody can do (not good or professionally) but anybody can do it gymnastics you really have to know how to do it this shouldn’t even be a doubt.” Chiles pointed out the same thing to the linebacker, which this fan seemed to reiterate. But another fan agreed, “…I think anyone can run and throw/ catch a football (it might not be division one level but it’s doable) if I asked you rn to do a back tuck on a beam, you wouldn’t be able to do it. BOTH ARE difficult but what comes easier? BFFR YALL” We understand why this fan felt this way.

Determining which sport is harder can often be subjective. Even though numerous fans pointed out that it would be easier to throw a football, there’s no denying that the sport demands high levels of stamina and strength. Similarly, flawlessly executing jaw-dropping flips or balancing on a four-inch wide piece of wood isn’t any easier. Yet, while comparing the two sports, fans easily gravitate towards gymnastics. What about you? Do you agree with the fans?