On June 30, at the US Olympic gymnastics trials, Jordan Chiles put up the third-highest all-around score (111.425) on the leaderboard, following Simone Biles and Suni Lee. This performance secured her a spot in the Paris Olympics. The upcoming Paris Games will mark her second appearance on the world stage after the Tokyo Olympics. This time, she aims to play the role of the perfect cheerleader for her squad, masking her inner struggles and any gloomy factors she may face.

After securing their berths for the Paris Olympics yesterday, five gymnasts sat with Today’s Hoda Kotb in a friendly conversation. There, Jordan Chiles confessed about her strategy to hide her bitter feelings with a wide grin. Claiming that, she confessed, “I definitely do bury them…I just wanted to go out there and just enjoy the ride. I had nothing really to lose, so I wanted to just perform and get the crowd involved.” She exemplified this at the Target Center last week by constantly giving the audience reasons to cheer for more. Alongside that, Jordan Chiles was seen readily clapping for her compatriots, inspiring them to push harder. Meanwhile, her carefree vibe found an extra notation during the confetti ceremony. 

Just like last time, after the Tokyo Olympics trials, Jordan Chiles once again immersed herself in the moment. Her celebration after being named as a squad member for the Paris Olympics exemplified this. Initially, she hugged and congratulated each team member for their achievement. Furthermore, during the confetti celebration, her joy, reminiscent of a child’s, spoke volumes about her acceptance of the moment in all its vibrancy. But how did she manage to become accustomed to the struggles?

The foremost reason is Jordan Chiles takes her struggles in the same way as those that come to her. From that perspective, she said, “Struggles are struggles, but also roads are roads as well.” Furthermore, her idea of the previous struggles has made her more shielded against the additional complications. The mindset echoed in her statement, “The biggest thing is knowing that I had those tough times. But it made me stronger and feel more confident in myself.” Now the question comes to the point of asking what were her actual struggles. 

Jordan Chiles prefers to live by the day 

In the Tokyo Olympics, Jordan Chiles found a last-minute entry in the team’s final event, only after Simone Biles bowed out for her ‘twisties’. Later, riding on Jordan’s brilliant performance, the USA team won the silver medal in the women’s category. But the former UCLA gymnast couldn’t think of herself achieving the same feat again in the future. In the conversation with US Weekly, she admitted her emotion, saying, “I felt like if I go back what if I disappoint people if I go back they’re going to think I need to do this that.” Furthermore, she would have to choose between her elite and NCAA gymnastics to continue with the Paris Olympics dream. 

However, in 2023, an outing with her friends and constant motivation from her close circle, especially from Simone Biles, led her to take a firm step: continuing training for the Paris Olympics at the World Champions Centre. Now her approach tells the full-proof story as it goes, “You only have one life to live and we don’t have nine lives”. The relishing touched further height when she said, “I’m just been living life doing everything that I can stay focused”. Frankly, in this Olympic season, Jordan Chiles is doing that thoroughly. Her performance donning a Beyonce-inspired leotard at the Core Hydration Classic proves that. Now, what’s next?