Jordan Chiles finished third on the 34th season of Dancing With the Stars. However, in an interview with Inside Gymnastics, the Olympic gold medalist explained that DWTS helped in her gymnastics journey.

As per Inside Gymnastics' April 24 post, Chiles said, “Being on Dancing with the Stars helped me come out of my shell,” she told Inside Gymnastics. 

“Being a gymnast and becoming a ballroom dancer allowed myself to be me. Allowing myself to be me made me even prouder to be me on the gymnastics floor,” the 25-year-old added.

Earlier this month, Chiles was a major player in helping the UCLA Bruins finish in fifth place at the 2026 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships.

She also won the fourth individual NCAA title in her career in the floor exercise event at the nationals. After the win, Chiles closed the curtains on her collegiate gymnastics career.

Jordan Chiles said goodbye to UCLA

Chiles spent four seasons competing for UCLA Gymnastics, but her association with the team has been longer than those four seasons.

After stating her collegiate gymnastics journey in 2021, to her hiatus in 2023 to train for the Olympics, to eventually return in 2025, UCLA gymnastics has been a part of her life for almost six years.

"Dear UCLA, Where do I even begin, never thought I would be writing a farewell, but here I am crying while writing," she wrote on Instagram on April 21.

"You've taught me so much coming in as a freshman and giving me the best 4 years of my life," she wrote before thanking her college gymnastics coaches and teammates.

Read more at the Gymnastics Digest!

Written by

Arjun Sharma

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi