About
Jordan Lucella Elizabeth Chiles was born on April 15, 2001, and has grown into one of the most recognizable faces in American gymnastics. Fans first noticed her easy smile at the Tokyo Games in 2021, when she calmly stepped in for Simone Biles and helped the United States secure a silver medal in the team final. Three years later, she returned to the Olympic floor in Paris and—alongside Biles—delivered clutch routines on vault, bars, and beam that pushed Team USA to the top of the podium for gold. She also picked up an individual bronze on floor exercise, a moment she later called “pure magic.” Outside the Olympics, Chiles owns two World Championship silver medals (vault and floor, 2022) and was part of the 2022 world-title-winning squad. Back home, she competes for UCLA, capturing the 2025 NCAA uneven-bars crown and drawing packed crowds with her superhero-themed floor sets. In the spring of 2025 she graced the cover of Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue, capping a whirlwind year in which TIME named her one of its Women of the Year.
Before Fame
Chiles’ parents, Timothy and Gina, remember her as a bundle of energy whose cartwheels filled the living room. After a particularly lively week at age six, Timothy signed her up for classes at a local gym in Vancouver, Washington. The coaches quickly spotted raw power: she could already flip higher than many older kids. By 14 she was a U.S. junior champion, and at 16 she collected the senior all-around silver at the 2017 national championships, signaling that an Olympic future was within reach. When she finished high school, Chiles moved from the Pacific Northwest to train at Simone Biles’ family gym in Texas, sharpening her skills in a supportive environment that prized joy as much as difficulty. That experience laid the groundwork for her calm performances under the bright Olympic lights.
Trivia
- Super-hero swagger: Chiles is a proud comic-book fan; her 2022–and-beyond floor routines borrow music from Marvel films and end with an imaginary lasso throw that crowds love.
- Memoir on the shelves: In March 2025 she released I’m That Girl, an honest account of injuries, doubt, and the thrill of sticking the landing when it matters most.
- Commercial star: Nike tapped her for its 2025 Super Bowl commercial “So Win,” where she tumbled across city rooftops to inspire kids to chase big dreams.
- Academic focus: Chiles majors in African American Studies at UCLA and often schedules morning lectures before afternoon beam drills.
- Giving back: She hosts summer clinics, insisting that young athletes never lose sight of fun: “If you’re smiling, you’re already halfway to a great routine,” she tells them.
Family Life
Family has always been Chiles’ safety net. Her mother, Gina, handled logistics—from leotard sewing to flight booking—while juggling her own career. Her father, Timothy, still whistles the same jingles he used during toddler practices. Jordan is the youngest of five: Jazmin, Jade, Tajmen, and Tyrus are her personal cheering squad. Jazmin, a professional hair stylist, traveled to the Sports Illustrated shoot and crafted Jordan’s sleek look for the red carpet, a gesture that left the gymnast in happy tears. The entire clan traveled to Paris in 2024; when the final score popped up, Jordan sprinted to the stands to share the moment with them first.
Associated With
Chiles’ career is tightly woven with that of Simone Biles. The two trained side by side in Texas, pushing each other through grueling “numbers” days and laughing through dance breaks. At the Tokyo Games, Chiles filled in for Biles on bars and beam; in Paris they stood shoulder to shoulder, trading high-fives between routines and later sharing the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s 2024 Jack Kelly Fair Play Award. Chiles also competes with fellow Bruins such as Jordan Jiles (no relation) and has been part of Team USA lineups that feature Sunisa Lee and Shilese Jones. Her easygoing spirit makes her a favorite training-camp roommate—coaches say she is the first to crank up music and the last to complain when conditioning runs long.