Kathy Johnson Clarke, as a former gymnast herself, has never been one to hold back when it comes to expressing her love for the sport. And this time was no different. Johnson took it to X and wrote, “Wow, what a wonderful surprise and reason to celebrate! Cheers to beautiful artistry, unique originality, and virtuosity!” But what exactly is she celebrating? Hold your horses, folks, as the two-time NCAA All-American gymnast Helen Hu is back!

Helen Hu has announced that she will be back with the Tigers of the University of Missouri for the upcoming 2025 season. No wonder Johnson couldn’t contain her excitement! Johnson’s post quickly gained traction; after all, who wouldn’t listen when the legendary voice of SEC gymnastics speaks? So what exactly is all the celebration about?

On Sunday, Mizzou Gymnastics posted a video showing a shadow figure with the voices of gym commentators John Roethlisberger and Alicia Sacramone Quinn in the background. And just today, they did the grand reveal. The revelation carried a video that begins with Hu saying, “I realized I have more to give to this team and to this sport. I have unfinished business. Once a tiger, always a tiger.” Mic drop, please! This is not just a comeback for Hu; it is personal.

After spending the last year on a backpacking adventure through Europe and Asia, Hu is all set to flip back into the high pressures of the mat. She didn’t make her decision on a whim either. “When weighing my options, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I have more to give. I felt like I would be missing out on a special opportunity… so I felt like I owe it to myself, the sport, and the team to come back,” said Hu. Grabbing opportunities by the neck, Hu is excited to be back. But there is another person just as enthusiastic about it!

Helen Hu’s coach, Shannon Welker! “We are so honored to welcome back Helen,” Welker said. “She’s scattered all over our record books for a reason.” No lies there! In the most recent season, Hu was the pride of the Tigers. She competed in all 13 meets and scored 9.900 or higher in 10 of them. In March, she hit her third career-best 9.975 on beam. It is safe to say that there is no doubt that with Hu, this NCAA season just got a whole lot more exciting!

To add another layer of intrigue, Helen Hu isn’t the only one joining the Tigers. Welker has been busy, adding four transfers and a star-studded freshman class to the roster. The team will see Olivia Dunne, Lauren Macpherson from San Jose State, Abby Mueller from Illinois, Elise Tisler from Towson, and Amy Weir from Oklahoma. With this lineup, Missouri is sure to make some noise this year. Is Missouri maybe trying to recreate its 2022 performance?

What does this return mean for the Tigers?

The return of Helen Hu is big not just because of her talent but because of where it put the Tigers on the NCAA rankings. Who can forget 2022, when Missouri finished just one spot shy of the National Championship final? Any guesses on who was leading the team? It was none other than Helen Hu. With her back, this could be a chance at NCAA redemption for Missouri.

However, Hu is coming back to a different Tigers! Coach Welker has been steadily building the Tigers into a national team of greatness. Earlier this year, the Tigers posted an image that showed a program-record NQS of 197.275. That is the highest team score recorded at a conference championship. They currently hold the 11th rank in the country. With Hu on their team, there’s no predicting how far they will go. The stage is set, and now it’s only a question: how loud can the Tigers roar?