"People told me I wasn’t going to become an Olympian"- Jordan Chiles gets real as she opens up about overcoming hate and negativity

Jordan Chiles recently opened up about the criticism she faced during her gymnastics journey. She shared that many people questioned her ability to make it to the Olympics and criticized her commitment to the sport.

The gold medalist had a hard time when some friendships suffered because others did not agree with her choices. However, she stayed focused on her goals and did not let the criticism bother her.

Reflecting on the haters around Chiles, during an interview with The Cut on February 28, 2025, she said:

"A lot of people told me I wasn’t going to become an Olympian. A lot of people told me I was the underdog. I’ve had friendships where people didn’t like the way I was living because they weren’t living like that. But at the end of the day, if you want to grow and succeed, you need to surround yourself with people who want you to succeed. I’ve had to navigate friendships with people who didn’t believe in me and prove them wrong. I like proving people wrong."

Jordan Chiles, a two-time Olympian, has won gold and silver medals. At the 2024 Paris Games, she secured team gold. In Tokyo 2020, she won silver and placed 13th in floor exercise, 40th in the all-around, 52nd in uneven bars, and 78th in beam.

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Jordan Chiles reflects on being the target of social media bullying

Jordan Chiles at the Big Fours - Source: Getty

Jordan Chiles' bronze medal win in the 2024 Paris Olympics floor exercise sparked controversy. She initially placed fifth, but her coach, Cécile Landi, challenged her difficulty score. A 0.1 point increase moved Chiles to third, earning her a medal. However, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation complained, arguing that the inquiry was submitted too late, exceeding the one-minute limit established by FIG.

Upon review, the Court of Arbitration for Sports reviewed the timing of the inquiry. Officials concluded that the inquiry was submitted four seconds late. As a result, CAS reversed the score of 13.766 to 13.666 for Chiles.

Fans questioned the fairness of the process and how technical rules affect athletes' careers after the bronze medal controversy. Reflecting on the setback on social media, Chiles said;

“I don’t like it, everybody [is] a bully bot. There’s no point in having social media in my eyes but I appreciate what she did, and I can’t thank her enough because with times like that, it does get hard mentally, physically, emotionally for a lot of people.” (athlonsports.com)

In addition to Olympic success, Jordan Chiles secured team gold and silver in floor exercise during the 2022 World Championships.