Fulfilling VMA Dream, Jordan Chiles Opens Up About Next Step in Gymnastics Career: “This Is a New Chapter”

For Olympic team USA gold medalist Jordan Chiles, 2024 has been a roller coaster ride of highs and lows. The 23-year-old went from winning gold in Paris to losing her bronze medal in a controversy of epic proportions. While returning her first individual Olympic medal was heartbreaking, Chiles regrouped and shinned in the good that came her way, including fulfilling another dream.

“I went to the VMAs, which was on my bucket list,” the Olympian confessed during her conversation with The Zero Report. However, after an eventful eight months, Chiles is looking to resume something she left unfinished in pursuit of her Olympic dream. After taking some time off from UCLA to prepare for gymnastics, the gymnastics icon is now ready to return.

Now, Jordan Chiles has to find a way to refocus on everything that comes with college life. “I can just focus on how do I bring Jordan back to the Jordan that’s ready for college… I put myself in the mindset of like, ‘OK, this is a new chapter of a book that you may be writing one day, and you just have to let it write out how you want it to.'” she said during her interview.

However, the two-time Olympian shouldn’t have a problem transitioning back to a more “normal” life as a college gymnast. After all, not only did she attend the MTV Video Music Awards, but she also made her New York Fashion Week debut. And if getting to share the VMA stage with Flavor Flav wasn’t special enough, the veteran musician gave a gymnast a moment she’ll never forget.

In light of the Court of Arbitration for Sport stripping Jordan Chiles of her bronze medal, Flav gave the gymnast a medal like no other. “I got you something that they can’t take away from you,” said the rapper as he gifted a special bronze edition of his signature clock necklace. So now, with her dream fulfilled, the 23-year-old is “excited” to return to UCLA.

“I can’t wait to be representing those four letters again,” the two-time Olympic medalist said, looking forward to two more years of college gymnastics. Yet, just because Chiles is returning to college doesn’t mean the gymnastics icon has stopped fighting for what she believes she earned inside Bercy Arena in Paris.

Jordan Chiles continues to fight for the medal she lost

USA Gymnastics didn’t rest after the CAS stripped Chiles and reinstated Romina’s Ana Barbosu as the floor exercise bronze medalist. Even more surprising was the fact that the Romanian Gymnastics Federation didn’t agree with the CAS ruling either. While they hoped Barbosu would get the bronze, they also wished the CAS would clear Sabrina Maneca-Voinea scoring penalty.

However, since the CAS dismissed Voinea’s appeal, the FRG themselves appealed. “The Swiss Supreme Court (TSE) confirmed the reception of the appeal formulated by FRG,” they announced on social media while arguing that all three gymnasts desired bronze medals. The filing boosted Jordan Chiles’ cause, who filed an individual appeal on September 16.

The 23-year-old pointed out that Hamid Gharavi, who chaired the panel that stripped her, had acted as legal counsel for Romania for nearly two decades. While Gharavi had disclosed the crucial details, USAG didn’t learn of it until days after the hearing. She also argued that the CAS should consider the new evidence that came to light shortly after the hearing. Yet, that wasn’t the end.

Jordan Chiles filed a second appeal just a week after her original one. In her second filing, the gymnast explained that the CAS made a “critical factual error” in determining that Cecile Landi’s appeal inside Bercy Area came four seconds too late. She pointed to the new evidence that showed Landi didn’t exceed the time limit. However, after taking the fight to CAS, all Chiles can do now is wait. By the time the Swiss Tribunal decides, Chiles will be well into her upcoming college gymnastics season.