The 2024 Summer Games gave us several moments to pine for. While we witnessed several wholesome moments, Jordan Chiles‘ second Olympic berth ended in heartbreak. She started her stint by clinching a shiny gold with the Final Five in the women’s all-around finals. However, things took a turn in her final event at Bercy Arena—the women’s floor finals. The gymnast initially placed fifth, missing out on a second medal in the French capital. 

But her coach’s quick thinking got her score revised, catapulting her to the third step of the podium. Yet, when the Romanian Gymnastics Federation filed an official challenge with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, they asked the 23-year-old to return the medal to the official bronze medalist, Ana Barbosu. As much as it hurt, the Olympian is slowly learning to live with heartbreak and has channeled that energy towards her promising future. What did she have to say?

Jordan Chiles looks back on the harrowing experience

On November 23, the Teen Vogue Summit celebrated 21 years of the magazine. Several attendees, TV editors, and special guests spent a day in Los Angeles, having important conversations with a splash of fun. Amid a stellar roster, Jordan Chiles attended as one of the keynote speakers. When Teen Vogue’s Associate Editor, Aiyana Ishmael, asked the gymnast what the Olympic experience was like, she didn’t hold back. “I use every negative comment – everything that’s thrown at me. And I use it to continue on my task, my journey,” she stated.

The 23-year-old reiterated how competing in the Olympics was a dream. In fact, she has done it twice now! Yet, the road to the top is seldom easy. She has always faced an incredible amount of pressure. However, she’s always been able to channel that into something spectacular. However, given the circumstances, there have been a few minor bumps. “People will always expect you to do something, but when I look at those people, I ask those people, ‘Why do you expect something out of me when I’m the one doing it?” she asked. 

Even though Jordan Chiles has been fighting to overrule the decision, she has shifted her focus to something just as monumental. The gymnast will be making a triumphant return to the NCAA with UCLA. Getting the chance to compete at the collegiate level is massive. But even fewer get to represent their nation in the Olympics, and she was one of the few. After her tumultuous stint in Paris, the Olympian is ready to climb the commercial ladder with NIL.

The gymnast’s current NIL is a whopping $318,000. So, when she recently joined Black Entrepreneurs Day with Daymond John, he asked her what the experience of being a college athlete navigating the NIL was like. The 23-year-old elaborated that this opened several doors by putting her future in her hands in a different way. Before NIL, college athletes couldn’t profit off their name, image, and likeness. 

However, the NCAA announced that athletes could profit from their personal brand for the first time in June 2021. In fact, the experience of being a pro and college athlete at the same time felt surreal to her. As challenging as it has been, she reiterated how she understood the significance of building and protecting her brand. Yet, the gymnast came across a minor bump on the road due to the bronze medal controversy. What really went down?

The gymnast shines a light on the other side of the coin

Putting one’s best foot forward on the world’s grandest stage is no easy feat. It takes a lot of hard work and training for athletes to prove their mettle. However, when Jordan Chiles had a score revised for the Olympic bronze, many fans weren’t too pleased with the outcome. But their ire wasn’t aimed at the judges. Instead, they blamed the 23-year-old for how things turned out.

On the other hand, the Olympian didn’t feel the CAS’ decision was fair and deemed it a significant blow. But here’s where things go from bad to worse. She was now facing unprompted, racially driven attacks on social media. Understandably so, the gymnast couldn’t help but feel hurt and wronged by the fans.

The team all-around gold medalist reiterated how she had poured her heart and soul into the sport. Regardless of how things turned out, she was proud to have represented her culture and country. Yet the attacks kept coming. Eventually, the gymnast’s mother, Gina Chiles, had to step in and put a stop to things.

Gina was appalled by the racist comments many made about Jordan Chiles, especially in 2024. She reiterated that the 23-year-old is a highly decorated Olympian with a big heart and unmatched sportsmanship. The Olympian, along with Simone Biles, bowed to Rebeca Andrade, the winner of the women’s floor exercise finals.

Yet she was subjected to such a heartbreaking outcome. But the damage had already been done. While the gymnast was resilient for most of the ordeal, she couldn’t take it anymore. The Olympian eventually took a much-needed break from social media to protect her mental piece. However, she will always be THAT girl. So, her return to the NCAA would be nothing short of extraordinary. What do you think of her comeback story?