Stanford gymnastics coach Thom Glielmi, at the 2022 World Championship, was approached by a bunch of young fans. They had an inquiry: Where was Ian Gunther, although he wasn’t even at the competition! The coach, much to his disbelief, responded: “Ian? You want to see Ian?” Well, thanks to social media, the Westside High School graduate became a household name. It all started when a coupon, promoting a local gym as a party host, arrived at the mailbox of his home in Westside. Gunther had his fifth birthday party there and found himself enrolled in the classes days later. Who knew, at the time, lil’ Ian would go on to become a 4x NCAA champion!

Hard to ignore the impact social media has these days! What started as a pet project, mostly out of boredom during the COVID-19 pandemic which his teammates may have found “cringey,” he now has over a million TikTok and 500,000+ Instagram followers. It wasn’t long before fans, affectionately dubbed “groupies,” would pour in just to support him. This one family, in fact, drove for four hours from Indiana to a Chicago event just to support him! But all good things must come to its inevitable end but Ian remains hopeful about his future.

Although the retirement announcement came just hours ago, the 25-year-old, whether he made the U.S. team or not, had already made up his mind prior to the Paris Olympics. Kicking off his final elite season at the Winter Cup in February and finishing just behind Senior Taylor Burkhart in second with a final score of 27.183 with the Czech Republic’s Vanessa Masova at the 2024 Sokol Grand Prix, the Houston native and one of the most popular athletes in the sport is finally hanging up his grips. He noted on IG, “This isn’t a goodbye, but a hello ❤️

“Gymnastics has shaped my life in ways I could never have imagined. After 18 incredible years of competition, I recently wrapped up my final meet during Thanksgiving in the Czech Republic—a poetic way to conclude a career that I am so grateful for.

“Although I’m no longer competing, my passion for the sport remains unwavering. Moving forward, I’m committed to staying even more engaged and finding new ways to give back to gymnastics and the community that has given me so much. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the support over the years. It has truly been the opportunity of a lifetime. ❤️”

As Gunther, who recently made appearances on Simone Biles-led Gold Over America Tour, drew the curtains on his gymnastics career, messages of support and love poured in from the community.

Simone Biles’ teammates join gymnastics community to pay tribute to Ian Gunther

In the comment box, Khoi Young put his heartfelt words, “Gonna miss you man 😢.” At Stanford, both gymnasts had some good times. And it was during the days when Gunther had yet to gain a global identity. Back then, he was a young athlete from Houston who was trying to make a name in men’s gymnastics. 

For Ellie Black, Ian Gunther poses an ‘inspiration.’ The four-time Olympian penned in the comment box, “Congrats Ian! An inspiration to us all ❤️ Can’t wait for the continued memories.” The ‘memories’ may have signified all those moments from the GOAT tour when she, Simone Biles, and many others matched their moves with Gunther on the stage and in the practice room. Another Olympian and GOAT member, Jade Carrey, dropped her message for a fellow gymnast on an emotional day. 

Carrey wrote, “you’re awesome ian.” Again the GOAT connection worked to bond the Olympic champion with Gunther. Before the US Olympic gymnastics trials this year, he clarified his mindset. He was all set to call the Winter Cup his last elite contest and wanted to retire in the Olympic cycle. The decision was made barring his participation in the Paris Olympics. 

Gunther remained steadfast in his commitment and called it a day, having last performed in a competitive event at the 2024 Sokol Grand Prix and placed second with teammate Denelle Pedrick.

Kayla DiCello also joined in to pay tribute to Gunther writing, “Proud of you!!” in the comment section. But what about his contribution to the men’s gymnastics? A fan surely reminisced over that on the day. 

The fan wrote, “Congrats on an incredible career! Thank you for bringing so much awareness to men’s gymnastics. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for you next!” It is all about his impact on sports, created through the videos and posts in the last four years. Coming from Stanford, Gunther has been able to keep the light on in his alma mater and many other institutions to keep men’s gymnastics in the curriculum.

His collegiate also saw him win three MPSF Individual Championships and two MPSF team championships. Gunther retires with a legacy that will reverberate for years to come and as he said we hope this is the beginning of a new chapter in his life.