Jordan Chiles discusses how Simone Biles' withdrawal during the Tokyo Olympics had a significant impact on her growth

Jordan Chiles expressed gratitude to Simone Biles for allowing her to compete in two of the Tokyo Olympic events that Biles withdrew from. It was stressful to step into Biles' shoes, but the opportunity helped Chiles' career grow, as per the gymnast.

Jordan Chiles, 23, shifted from Washington to Texas in 2019, to train alongside Biles at the World Champions Center. Since then, they have been inseparable both in and out of the gym. In a recent conversation with US Weekly, Chiles opened up on her camaraderie with Biles and how both are doing fine mental health-wise too.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, seven-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles faced the 'twisties', thus withdrawing from the all-around competition. Moreover, in the team final, she pulled out from the uneven bars and balance beam, allowing Jordan Chiles to replace her in both events. Chiles was initially looking to compete in the vault and the floor exercise.

The unexpected opportunity led Chiles to contribute scores to the team's silver-winning performance at the Tokyo Olympics. In an interview with FanSided, the 23-year-old shed light on how the challenging situation helped her forge a path to becoming a seasoned athlete. She also thanked her WCC compeer for supporting the team despite not doing well mentally.

"Being able to step into someone's shoes, so big… that was stressful.” Chiles said. “I was meant to be in that position, and I was meant to be put in a challenge like that for a reason. That's why I was on the team.”

Chiles believes she can now unwaveringly handle stressful situations.

“Now, I've realized when there's things that are thrown at me, I know how to handle them. I learned a lot from that experience, and I've just been taking what I learned there and putting it into every other challenge that's been thrown at me.”

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"No one was really paying attention to me" - Jordan Chiles on her Olympic selections performance

Jordan Chiles feels that she performed as an underdog during the selections for the Tokyo Olympics. Speaking candidly with FanSided, she shared how she had fun performing despite not having the spotlight on herself.

"No one was really paying attention to me, so all I had to do was just go out and do my gymnastics, and just have fun with it."

Fast forward to now, after the 2023 Pan-American all-around bronze medalist bagged several medals and accolades, she enjoys performing nevertheless.

"If people are watching, people are watching. If they're not, they're not.”

Jordan Chiles will be in contention with Olympic and world medalists Simone Biles, Suni Lee and Gabby Douglas, among others, who are all vying for spots at the 2024 Paris Olympics.