Jordan Chiles is back and not so much with a bang! After the dire drama of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Chiles has returned to reclaim her glory. However, this time it is on the UCLA mats for the 2024–25 season. This is no ordinary return either, it is a full-blown redemption tour! Especially with the UCLA Bruins taking on Arkansas Razorbacks, Kentucky, and Ohio State at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad, it is evidently a strong hunt for national glory!

While it is about the nationals for the Bruins, it is personal for Chiles. Especially after spending her summer battling the heartbreak of having been stripped of her Olympic bronze medal, she has scores to settle and things to prove. Chiles was initially part of a historic all-Black podium alongside Simone Biles and Rebeca Andrade. But the joy didn’t last long as Romania’s appeal took her medal away. Now, with a new purpose, she is here to take down her Olympic rivals like Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu, who’s joined Stanford. However, Ana is not the rival that Chiles had the emotional message for!

Jordan Chiles meets Arkansas Razorbacks’ NCAA rival!

On January 11th, the UCLA Bruins were set to go up against Arkansas Razorbacks, but something that not many saw coming happened. It turned into an Olympic reunion for the USA gold-winning gymnastics team. It’s no news that Chiles and her team with names like Simone Biles, Suni Lee, and Jade Carey went on to take the Gold. But along with the team was also another young Texan!

The prodigy is none other than Joscelyn Roberson, who is now a freshman and is a part of the Arkansas Razorbacks. Yes, the very team going up against Chiles’ Bruins. While competition might reign supreme, sportsmanship always wins on the gymnastics mat. And it was no different on January 11th as the world saw Roberson and Chiles meeting. So what was the meeting all about?

The world saw Roberson, who was all set to make her debut on the NCAA mats in her leotard, hugging Jordan Chiles. All of that camaraderie just moments before Arkansas’ season opener at Paycom Center. To add on, Joscelyn Roberson took to Instagram and wrote on her stories, “Loved getting to see you this week.” Chiles reposted the same and showed the world it is all love between the two Texans, with multiple heart emojis. While it was a wholesome moment, the night that followed was not so much for Chiles!

So how did the Olympians do on the NCAA mats?

The night went quite differently for Joscelyn Roberson and Jordan Chiles. On one hand, the world saw one of the best debuts on the NCAA mats, with Roberson hitting a 9.875 score in Vault. Meanwhile, Chiles missed out on a perfect 10, scoring 9.975 on the floor. Now here’s where things get interesting. The rookie gymnast tied with Chiles on the floor for second place! However, that wasn’t the only tie that night!

Roberson, in fact, created history. She had the second-highest score ever received by a rookie Gymback. Roberson went on to tie in the all-around for first place with 39.475 points. Towards the coda, the UCLA Bruins topped the season with 197.550, leaving Kentucky and Ohio State behind. Despite some slight slacking from Jordan Chiles, the Bruins have her back. And are setting the tone of victory right from the first flip.