After missing NCAA finals spot, Simone Biles’ former coach Cecile Landi hints at Georgia Gymdogs' future

Simone Biles’ former coach Cecile Landi shared future goals for the Georgia Gymdogs after the team missed a spot in the NCAA Championships final during the Regionals. In the NCAA Washington Regional semifinal, the Gymdogs finished third with a score of 196.175, narrowly behind Arizona, who earned their spot in the Regional final with 196.250.

Following their exit, Georgia Gymdogs' co-head coach Landi expressed her disappointment for not ending their campaign where they had hoped but added that they would be using it as motivation to come back stronger in the 2026 season. Speaking to Inside Gymnastics, she stated:

“We are not ending the way we all wanted and worked for. We are using this to fuel our work and get ready for next year.”

Landi’s journey with the program began in April 2024 when she was announced as the co-head coach of the team alongside Ryan Roberts. Having previously coached at the World Champions Centre, founded by Simone Biles’ family, and served as Biles’ coach, Landi accompanied the US team to the Paris Olympics and contributed to their successful campaign.

Landi later bid an emotional farewell to the facility and officially joined the Gymdogs in August last year. Under her coaching, the program recorded four wins and one loss at their home games this season.

Simone Biles’ former coach reflects on transition from elite to collegiate gymnastics as a coach

Simone Biles and coach Cecile Landi at Paris Olympics (Photo: Getty Images)

Simone Biles’ former coach Cecile Landi explained the changes she faced after transitioning to collegiate gymnastics coaching with the Georgia Gymdogs. During her appearance on the Flipping Out with Bridget Sloan podcast in December 2024, she said:

“At first, we were in eight hours a week training like we could require. So, it was very strange for me. But the girls, most of them, stayed longer, they wanted to train more. So for me, it's all the rules, all the rules, and what mostly we cannot do is really what I have to figure out.”

However, once the championship season began, the training limit increased to 20 hours per week, which she felt was 'plenty of hours' for the athletes and worked well for them. She also opened up about adjusting to the other responsibilities, including meetings and interactions, adding:

“So, it's been really good. Yeah, all the outside stuff that we have to deal with, and all the meetings, never had that many meetings. Meeting all the people, it's been really fun…I'm getting the hang of it, you know. Yeah, the rules, I would say, the biggest thing. Compliance is a big one.”

Cecile Landi further shared that her family stayed back in Texas due to her daughter Juliette's high school commitments, which helped her fully commit to her new role at Georgia without distractions.