“I was like, ‘I’m done. I’m over this. I’m not doing anymore. This is not it,’ Jordan Chiles said after suffering bone bruises and torn lateral collateral ligaments just three weeks after she missed the winter cup. But now, the Olympic silver medalist is gearing up for her second visit to the supreme athletic event in Paris. She bagged the third position in Olympic trials hosted at Target Center in Minneapolis, scoring 111.425 points.
She will represent Team USA in gymnastic events at the Summer Olympics alongside Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera. The road wasn’t easy, and she was riddled with injuries. But talking to a fellow gymnast, Chiles revealed a surprising source of strength that she uses to boost her gymnastics.
“I love getting the crowd involved,” Chiles revealed to six-time Olympic medallist Aly Raisman in an interview with olympics.com ahead of Paris 2024. Raisman was curious about how she could be focused while having fun and enjoying herself simultaneously on the field.
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In return, Chiles credited the fans present there and said that she encouraged them to be more involved with dancing and clapping. It really helps her calm down, focus, and eventually get the best out of her.
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Besides fans, Chiles also credited Aly Raisman as the motivation and inspiration who pushed her to perform her best. But medals aren’t the only thing that drives Jordan Chiles. In the same discussion, Chiles revealed that, “I think the biggest thing that’s going to make me the most proud is knowing that I never gave up and I never doubted myself or regretted anything, and kind of just pushed myself to a limit that I never thought I could push myself to. And, you know, my dream was just making it to one, but knowing that I was able to make it to two just makes it even better.”
Jordan Chiles Always Stood Up for The Occasion
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Back in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, it was Jordan Chiles along with her fellow team member Sunisa Lee who stepped up when Simone Biles withdrew from the middle of the team event after experiencing ‘Twisties,’ a potential mental block that renders the athletes incapable of judging their bodies’ orientation mid-air. Following her withdrawal, Biles missed the team final, vault final, uneven bars final and individual all-around Final.
Stepping in for Biles, Jordan Chiles pulled an impressive feat. She managed to grab a silver for her team, scoring 13.433 on the beam, 14.666 on the vault, and 11.700 on the floor. Continuing her exceptional run, Chiles aced the NCAA in 2022. She went on to grab 3 world medals and three medals in the 2023 Pan American Games, finishing with a score of 53.999. Now she has aced the Olympic trials too, securing the third position behind the gymnast legend Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee. Fans will surely be cheering for Jordan Chiles when she steps in to perform at the Paris Olympics 2024, adding to her positive energy and encouraging her to be the best of herself.