Simone Biles’ NCAA Gymnastics Battle Resurfaces as BFF Jordan Chiles Powers UCLA Into the Semi-Finals
But reality hit: elite gymnasts like Katelyn Ohashi, who balanced school and stardom in Dallas, were the exception, not the rule. Biles’ dad, Ron, wasn’t buying it, telling her, “The public school system in the state of Texas won’t allow you to miss as many days as you’ll have to miss if you make the national team.” That fork in the road led Simone to homeschool and, eventually, Olympic history—four golds in Rio 2016 alone. Meanwhile, Chiles chose UCLA after Tokyo 2020, racking up NCAA titles in 2023 (uneven bars and floor). So, how did Simone’s sacrifice shape the path Jordan’s blazing now?
Jordan Chiles’ UCLA Journey akin to a Gymnastics Odyssey Through Triumph and Time Off
Jordan Chiles’ UCLA journey is the kind of rollercoaster that keeps you glued to the edge of your seat! Kicking things off in 2022, Chiles burst onto the collegiate scene as a freshman phenom for the Bruins, fresh off her Tokyo 2020 Olympic team silver. That first year, she was already flexing her elite skills, snagging two perfect 10s on floor and one on uneven bars, while racking up 23 scores of 9.9 or higher—talk about setting the Pauley Pavilion on fire! Her sophomore year in 2023? Absolute domination.
Chiles clinched NCAA individual titles on uneven bars and floor exercise, hitting a perfect 10 on bars and a near-flawless 9.975 on floor at the championships in Fort Worth. She also nabbed second in the all-around with a 39.7125, just 0.05 shy of the top spot, and led UCLA with 40 event wins, including five perfect 10s across the season. Her career-high all-around score of 39.9 still ranks No. 2 in UCLA history. But here’s the twist—after that stellar 2023 run, Chiles hit pause on her junior year to chase Olympic gold again, deferring her NCAA season to train at the World Champions Centre in Texas with Simone Biles. So, how did that break shake up her path?
Alright, let’s rewind to 2023—Chiles made the gutsy call to step away from UCLA, trading Pauley Pavilion for the grind in Spring, Texas. Why? Paris 2024 was calling, and she wasn’t about to let it go to voicemail. Announced via Gymnastics Now on March 8, 2023, she deferred her junior season to focus on elite training under coaches Laurent and Cecile Landi, aiming for her second Olympic shot. Fast forward to July 30, 2024, at Bercy Arena—she delivered, helping Team USA snag team gold alongside Biles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera.
Then came the floor final on August 5: Chiles initially placed fifth with a 13.666, but a last-second inquiry from Coach Landi bumped her score to 13.766, landing her the bronze—or so we thought. Cue the chaos—Romania appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), claiming the inquiry was four seconds late, and on August 10, CAS ruled against Chiles, stripping her medal and awarding it to Ana Barbosu. “I was devastated,” Chiles wrote in her memoir I’m That Girl , capturing the gut punch of that moment. She fought back, taking her case to the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, but while that battle brews, she didn’t sulk—she roared back to UCLA for 2025. How’s she channeling that Paris drama into her NCAA comeback?
Now, let’s talk 2025—Chiles is back in Westwood, and she’s not messing around! After announcing her return on August 8, 2024, via NBC —“I am returning back to UCLA to represent the Bruins for my two remaining years of college”—she hit the ground tumbling. The season kicked off January 11 at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad, where her Prince-themed floor routine scored a 9.975, setting the tone for a redemption arc. By March 9, against Stanford, she notched a season-high 39.75 all-around, helping UCLA clinch the Big Ten title with a record 198.450 team score.
That meet also saw history: Chiles, Brooklyn Moors, and Ciena Alipio each scored perfect 10s—UCLA’s first Big Ten trio to do so, per the team’s X post on March 25. “Walking into the routine, I was like, this is Rock Star Jordan,” she told ESPN’s Charlotte Gibson (March 31, 2025), radiating the confidence that’s fueled her 11 career perfect 10s at UCLA. Post-Paris, she’s been a hype machine too—teammate Emma Malabuyo said, “She’s involved in nearly every performance,” per ESPN. With her junior year peaking at the NCAA semi-finals on April 5 (9.975 on floor, 9.950 on vault), Chiles has one more year of eligibility left for 2026. What’s she got planned for that final Bruin chapter?
