The 2024 season has been quite a whirlwind for Jordan Chiles. Earlier this year, she looked forward to a stellar second berth on the world’s biggest stage but only walked away with one shiny team Olympic gold medal. Even though the fight for the bronze she claimed in the floor exercise final continues, the 23-year-old had something to smile about. Shortly after her tumultuous stint in Paris, she announced her to the NCAA, and Pauley Pavilion couldn’t be any more excited.

On December 14, fans had the chance to watch the 2025 UCLA roster at the annual Meet the Bruins event presented by Wescom. The gymnasts put on exhibition performances, and the Olympian happened to be one of them. This was the first time the squad stepped into the Pauley Pavilion since March, but their head coach is confident they have what it takes. Mind you, this was no regular season meet but a glimpse at what the squad has in place for the upcoming NCAA gymnastics season. How does the head coach feel about their chances?

The Bruins are looking forward to redeeming themselves

In the previous NCAA season, UCLA faltered in one event—the vault. It was the only event that ranked them outside of the top 10. They missed it by a whisker, placing in 11th place instead. One of the factors for this was their lower start value vaults. However, during the event on Saturday afternoon, they showed off incredible 10.0 start value vaults. In a post-event press conference, Janelle McDonald was asked if she was pleased with the result. What did she say?

“Yeah, you know, we’re really proud of where Vault’s at,” she stated. Coach McDonald reiterated that for the past few years, UCLA has wanted to add more depth to the vault. Last season, only three out of the six vaulters completed routines that earned a 10 in the national semifinal. However, the event provided the Bruins a chance to shake out their nerves and test out new skills. This would also let the coaching squad fine-tune any details for the season ahead. 

Turns out, there wasn’t much to iron out. The head coach added, “They’ve been working really hard on the technique and just really being able to get the little things dialed in so that they can be very confident and successful.” But McDonald was confident they would redeem themselves from their disappointing standing last year. She beamed with pride, stating that their vault starts could be a solid 9.9 on the apparatus. So, how did Jordan Chiles do at the meet? 

While the 23-year-old didn’t show off her vault skills, she did have something special lined up. For the first time since the floor exercise finals in Paris, the gymnast replicated her routine in Pauley Pavilion. Set to Beyoncé’s voice, her routine was exactly the same as the Olympics. However, the crowd and her teammates were mesmerized as they watched the Olympian flawlessly execute her routine. How did she feel after her official UCLA appearance?

Jordan Chiles couldn’t contain her excitement

The Paris Olympics left Jordan Chiles shocked and confused. She even had to take a short social media break after the harrowing experience. Sure, she made a few appearances after, even performing on the Gold Over America Tour. But she hadn’t stepped on the gymnastics mat since her time at the French capital. That was until Saturday.

Making her first appearance for UCLA after a long time, the smile seems to have returned to her face. When the Olympian was asked what she thought of her time back, she kept it simple and sweet. “I’m so excited. I honestly miss Poly so much. Being a Bruin has meant everything to me, so it’s good to be back. Your girl is back. Your girl is back,” she exclaimed. 

Even though the dust has settled on the Paris Olympics, Jordan Chiles returns with a ton of experience. Would that impact the rest of the squad in some way? The gymnast wanted to incorporate the healthy atmosphere she witnessed in the French capital at UCLA. However, the 23-year-old also looked forward to having fun and making more memories with the squad.

The gymnast wasn’t done yet. During her second bid at the Summer Games, the Olympian’s teammates were always on her mind. “I honestly miss every single girl on this team and being able to be a huge inspiration to them and also being able to be teammates. It’s really cool. Four is up all the way, and UCLA is my right of days,” she confessed. With the powerhouse back at UCLA, will they finally get back to the national final for the first time since 2019?