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Jordan Chiles has reached the top of the gymnastics world, but it’s not been an easy trip to the peak.
The 23-year-old, who is returning to the Paris Olympics after earning a silver medal in the team all-around event in Tokyo, opened up about the discrimination she has faced due to her mixed-race background.
Chiles, who is Black and Latina, told Teen Vogue that she faced plenty of discrimination — both overt and quieter — as she was rising to become one of the best gymnasts in the world.
Jordan Chiles: ‘I Wanted to be Done’
Chiles said she saw discrimination early in her life while competing as a mixed-race girl in a predominantly white sport. She recalled one incident where a woman in the crowd at an event claimed Chiles “doesn’t deserve to be on the floor” because “she doesn’t even look like anybody else.”
The unsettling experience stuck with Chiles.
“People were racially attacking me without me even really knowing,” she said. “I’m young, so I only know the story because my mom told me. Security had to come and say, ‘Ma’am, she’s doing everything just like everybody else.’ I’ve gotten medals taken away from me. I’ve been told that my mom wasn’t my mom. I’ve gotten told that I wasn’t Black.”
Chiles said there were other microaggressions, including discrimination about her hair and body. The gymnast says she felt heavy pressure to look a certain way and keep her weight down.
“I was traumatized when I was younger,” Chiles told Teen Vogue. “I was getting weighed. I was told I could only eat certain things.”
It made her consider quitting gymnastics.
“I wanted to be done because I didn’t think the sport wanted me. I didn’t think people around me wanted to see a beautiful Black girl in a [leotard] anymore,” Chiles said on the My New Favorite Olympian podcast.
Proving Something to Herself
Chiles not only stuck with gymnastics, she became one of the world’s best. After Tokyo, she was part of the American team that won gold at the World Championships in Liverpool in 2022, also earning two gold medals and one silver while representing UCLA at the NCAA Championships in 2023.
She has earned some famous fans along the way. Chiles recently revealed a handwritten note from singer Beyonce, who gave the gymnast a bit of inspiration. As Olympics.com noted, Chiles has worn leotards inspired by Beyonce’s performance outfits.
“Congrats to you Queen. Always watching you with pride and admiration. Thank you for reppin’ us. Good luck to you,” Beyonce wrote, adding in another note, “All of your hard work and sacrifice shines bright. Praying for you and wishing you the best. Love your twin, Beyonce.”
As she returns to the Olympics, Chiles said she doesn’t feel she has anything more to prove.
“I’ve been through that cycle once before,” Chiles said. “My brain now is like, Okay, you’ve done it, so let’s do it again. You don’t have anything to prove. I’m going out there for myself…because at the end of the day, I’ll always be proud.”
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