We’re officially in the full swing of the 2024 Olympics season, with the trials of multiple sporting events coming to an end as the race to Paris heats up.
Already we’ve had breakout stars in track and field and shock injuries and withdrawals, but one heartwarming moment came at this year’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Gymnastics. The two-day event was action packed, especially for the women’s Olympic team hopefuls, featuring a stunning performance by Suni Lee and an unfortunate ruptured achilles heel for Kayla DiCello.
One athlete who also attracted buzz was Washington gymnast Jordan Chiles. So how did she fare at the trials, and what are her chances for Olympic glory?
What happened to Jordan Chiles?
Jordan Chiles competed at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Gymnastics in Minneapolis in late June, where she secured a place in the Olympic women’s gymnastics team following a standout performance across the two-day event. The 23-year-old was named as part of the team for Paris 2024 alongside fellow returning Olympians Simone Biles, Suni Lee, and Jade Carey.
For her part, 16-year-old Hezly Rivera will also make her Olympics debut as part of the U.S. Olympics team, while Joscelyn Roberson and Leanne Wong will travel to Paris as the alternates. It marks the oldest U.S. Olympic women’s gymnastics team in history. Chiles’ place in the team was well-earned, given that she placed second on day one of the trials and was also named the runner-up of the event as a whole.
Biles was the winner of the trials, though Chiles was hot on her heels with a well-scored vault performance and a Beyonce-sampling floor routine that got parts of the crowd on their feet. Chiles’ score at the end of night one was 56.400, not far off Biles, who secured her third Olympics bid with a score of 58.900. Chiles told reporters she is “very proud of [Biles] and to be behind her.”
It will mark Chiles’ second time at the Olympics, following her run at Tokyo 2020 where she won a silver medal. According to Chiles, Paris is a chance to improve upon the women’s second-place finish in 2020, and she told reporters at the trials that “we’re here for redemption.” Over on social media, Chiles shared her excitement at heading to Paris, writing: “Guys guess what?? I’m going to the Ahhhh Olympics!!!”
The gymnastics portion of the Paris Olympics will kick off on July 27, and will take place at the city’s Bercy Arena.