Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles announced her intention to compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, marking her third Olympic appearance, in a video posted Wednesday on Instagram. The announcement was narrated by Michael Jordan, the NBA legend for whom Chiles is named.
In the video, Chiles posted the caption “LA 2028… WHY NOT?” alongside footage of her at a Southern California beach. The video features narration from Michael Jordan, who asks, “Why again? Because the dream is still there. Why continue? Because there’s still more to give.” Chiles responds with the phrase “Why not?” in the video.
Chiles, 25, is a four-time NCAA champion who competed for UCLA before turning professional. She was part of the U.S. team that won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she also earned an individual bronze medal on floor exercise. That medal was later reallocated to Romania’s Ana Barbosu by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) following a scoring controversy, though Chiles has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Chiles previously competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she won a team silver medal and stepped in for Simone Biles, who withdrew from the finals to focus on her mental health. She is the fourth member of the Paris gold medal-winning U.S. gymnastics team to announce a return for 2028, joining Suni Lee, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera. Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history, has not officially retired but has not confirmed plans to compete in Los Angeles.
Training and Preparation
Chiles has leveraged her college experience to refine her skills, winning individual NCAA titles on bars in 2023 and floor in 2024 as a 23-time All-American. Her decision to pursue a third Olympics follows a pattern in women’s gymnastics, where athletes are increasingly competing into their mid-20s rather than retiring after their teenage years. Only a handful of American women have competed in three Olympics, including Dominique Dawes (2000), Linda Metheny, and Muriel Grossfield.
The LA 2028 Olympics will mark the third time the Games have been held in Los Angeles, following the 1932 and 1984 editions. The event is expected to feature a strong U.S. gymnastics team, with Chiles joining a cohort that includes returning Olympians and rising stars.