Jordan Chiles’ Tattoos: The Story Behind Her Incredible Body Art
PALO ALTO, CA - MARCH 07: Jordan Chiles of the UCLA Bruins dances to music during a meet between the UCLA Bruins and the Stanford Cardinal on March 7, 2026 at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto, CA. Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire COLLEGE GYMNASTICS: MAR 07 Women s UCLA at Stanford EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260307051
PALO ALTO, CA - MARCH 07: Jordan Chiles of the UCLA Bruins dances to music during a meet between the UCLA Bruins and the Stanford Cardinal on March 7, 2026 at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto, CA. Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire COLLEGE GYMNASTICS: MAR 07 Women s UCLA at Stanford EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260307051
Olympic medals aren’t the only adornments for gymnastics icon Jordan Chiles. The former UCLA star once revealed the meaning behind the other decorations, her tattoos.
“My tattoos definitely have a meaning to them. My right side has my Olympic rings on it, which I've gone to two Olympics,” she revealed in 2025, during a photoshoot with Essence.
Chiles wouldn’t really count them as decorations, but as representations of the worlds she has lived in.
She added, “How I see it is my right side is my shield and my armor. My left side is all the imperfections I've ever had in my life.”
In addition to being a two-time Olympic medalist and a decorated college gymnast with 19 perfect career 10s, Chiles is a human being carrying several symbols.
Apr 19, 2025; Fort Worth, TX, USA; UCLA Bruins gymnast Jordan Chiles performs on floor exercise during the 2025 Women's National Gymnastics Championship at Dickies Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Apr 19, 2025; Fort Worth, TX, USA; UCLA Bruins gymnast Jordan Chiles performs on floor exercise during the 2025 Women's National Gymnastics Championship at Dickies Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Starting with a large rose on her forearm, Chiles has a 23 that pays homage to her namesake and basketball legend, Michael Jordan.
Then comes a yin-yang Koi fish representing balance and harmony, a collection of patchwork tattoos, a bunch of hand tattoos, and so on.
Through these tattoos, Chiles “embraces both sides.” She even has a matching Golden tattoo with gymnastics icon Simone Biles. The two also have matching Olympic rings, along with fellow Olympian Suni Lee.
However, there’s one design that probably holds the most significance for Chiles.
Jordan Chiles’ Tribute to Her Grandfather
In 2023, two days after her grandfather Gene Velasquez’s passing, Chiles got inked on her left forearm as a tribute.
The tattoo was a quote from Velasquez, which reads, “Where you are I have been, Where I am, You will be.”
“I was really close to my grandpa. He was like another dad to me,” Chiles said, per the Houston Chronicle.
While all of Chiles’ tattoos bore significant meanings, her tribute to Velasquez seemed like an active reminder that whatever hard times arrive, shall pass.
“He was very supportive," she recalled. "My favorite thing about him is that he was somebody that whenever times were hard, he knew how to lift you up.”
Notably, after being stripped of her bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, Chiles recounted gaining support from her grandfather's words as she tackled the decision.
Which one of her tattoos do you like the best? Let us know in the comments.
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Written by
Deblina Roy
Edited by
Sijo Paul