"Leave a legacy at UCLA" - Jordan Chiles reveals the reason for her return to alma mater after Paris Olympic victory

Jordan Chiles talked about leaving a legacy at UCLA and expressed her wish to cherish her NCAA journey a little more. Chiles returned to competing with the Bruins after her Paris Olympic exploits in 2024.

Chiles, a US women's gymnastics team member at the Paris Games, redeemed the gold with the 'Golden Girls.' However, the bronze she won on the floor went through an ordeal and was eventually ordered to be returned. Chiles next took the stage at the Gold Over America tour, performing alongside her Olympic teammates in the Simone Biles-hosted event.

As announced in August 2024, Chiles returned to her alma mater, UCLA, to resume her NCAA career. Having stepped onto the competition mat, Chiles donned a sparkly navy blue leotard and performed a Prince-themed floor routine to the iconic singer's music in the Bruins' second meet en route to the NCAA Championships.

Her execution garnered love and support from global fans and earned her a score of 9.975. In an interview later, the Olympic gold medalist revealed that her return to UCLA was to leave an impact and inspire young athletes rather than win more titles. The two-time NCAA gold medalist said:

"I've done a lot within UCLA already, but I feel like there's just things that I could kind of show to UCLA and kind of cherish [the experience] a little more. I want to be able to leave a legacy at UCLA, just like a bunch of my other teammates have and just to continue to represent in the way that I can." (via ESPN)

Chiles made waves at the 2023 NCAA Championships, winning the all-around silver and gold medals in the uneven bars and floor exercise.

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Jordan Chiles talked about bringing the art back to the sport to give the spectators a concert-like feel

Jordan Chiles and her teammates look on at the UCLA Gymnastics' "Meet The Bruins" - (Source: Getty)

Popular for her dramatic nails and customized leotards, Chiles often channels her favorite music icons on the gymnastics mat. At the 2024 US Championships, her leotards resembled the ones Beyoncé wore at the 'Renaissance' tour. Chiles also used her songs to offer a delightful concert-like experience.

In her first floor routine of the 2025 NCAA season, she performed a Prince-inspired routine. Speaking of her outlook, Jordan Chiles expressed her desire to make the sport look enjoyable.

"I want to come back with something that people are going to enjoy. Artistic gymnastics is very known for just the gymnastics part, and I wanted to be able to bring the art back into the sport, and so I felt like Prince was the best thing to do for that. Who wouldn't want to be able to sit and eat their popcorn at a gymnastics meet and feel like you're at his concert?" (via ESPN)

Jordan Chiles amassed three World Championships and three Pan American Games' medals in her elite career so far, besides two Pac-12 titles at the NCAA level.