How Jordan Chiles’ Olympic performance with Beyoncé could ‘change the game’

How Jordan Chiles’ Olympic performance with Beyoncé could ‘change the game’

US gymnast Jordan Chiles was all smiles on Thursday during podium training for the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Chiles hopes her Beyoncé-inspired floor routine will help her win the gold medal. She hasn’t even made her Olympic debut at the Bercy Arena, but Jordan Chiles already has more than a gold medal: a platinum record like Beyoncé’s. Eleven days before Chiles was set to compete in her second Olympic Games, Beyoncé sent the 23-year-old athlete a signed copy of her album “Cowboy Carter,” whose floor routine is based on the superstar’s collection of songs, and surprised him by posting a photo of the gift on Instagram. 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games

“Congratulations to you Queen,” the note wrote to Silver Ink. “I always look at you with pride and admiration!” Thank you for taking us back.
Chiles represents Queen Bey’s music on the largest sports scene as she participates in her second Olympic Games from Sunday in Bercy Arena. The UCLA Star, which won two independent NCAA championships, is an important factor that the United States, who recovers gold medals, has received silver medals in Tokyo.

But her 90 seconds of Audbillon is not only acquiring medals. Also, put Chile at the pioneer of the Renaissance, which has expired elite gymnastics.
“She is there to change the game,” said the Assistant Coach of the University of California at the University of California, California University, choreographed Chile. “She’s there to inspire and to give other gymnasts the opportunity to be themselves.” Classical music has historically been favored for the floor exercise, which accompanies the “rhythmic” portion of gymnastics, with classical dance. But Chiles unapologetically referenced Beyoncé’s album “Renaissance” to inspire not just her floor routine, but her entire Paris aspirations. The Vancouver, Washington, native has taken Beyoncé’s song “I’m that girl” as her motto, and even designed a custom leotard inspired by her outfit. Jordan Chiles performed on the floor exercise on the Thursday before the opening day of the Paris Olympics.

After spending much of her elite career as one of the few women of color in a predominantly white sport, Chiles found strength in the strength of another Black woman. “If she’s a queen, then I’m a queen,” Chiles said.
Das and Chiles incorporated Beyoncé’s signature dance moves into the choreography. After Beyoncé’s second tumbling pass, she nodded to her “Renaissance” pose, with her arms raised above her head, wrists crossed and fingers spread. Das loves when Chiles does his first somersault, raising his fist dramatically. More than the movement itself, Das enjoys the confidence Chiles displays in this moment. Das consulted with friends who are also members of the BeyHive to determine the best dance moves to incorporate, and she wanted to make sure the numbers matched Beyoncé’s performance. Fitting it into an elite gym outfit was a secondary consideration. “I thought Jordan’s gymnastics and her performance ability spoke for itself,” Das said. “And if you don’t see the artistry there, maybe you need to look a little wider.”

FIG rules instruct judges to “consider artistic harmony and feminine grace” in addition to “technical execution” during floor exercise.

The subjective nature of the sport, rooted in gender stereotypes, makes floor exercise each season an exercise in balancing self-expression and impressing the judges. Chiles earned perfect scores, won an NCAA title and made waves at UCLA in 2023 with her ’90s-style hip-hop routine, but when she wanted to include an ensemble in her national team performance, she was told it was a no-go. It wasn’t “American.”

Das believes she and Chiles could “eliteize” their programs if given the chance. The jazz or funk-style choreography employed in the loose student judging code could easily be modified to please international judges. Das acknowledged that his true old school hip hop may have made officials “fear he wasn’t seen as artistic.”
Chilis’ Beyoncé-inspired routine seems like the perfect combination of the fun collegiate style of UCLA and the precision of elite gymnastics. Seeing him embraced and celebrated at the highest level of the sport makes Das proud of the impact Chilis can have on the gymnastics world. “Sports should be inclusive,” Das said. “It should be open to everyone’s artistry… I think this is really a turning point for Jordan where she sees that she can really be herself on the gymnastics mat and be rewarded for it. Making the Olympic team was a huge, huge moment, and she did it her way this time.
Six years ago, Chiles almost quit gymnastics. She didn’t make the World Cup team three times in a row. She believed that sports did not want it. However, when Chile was hit by his final installation during the Olympics test, one hand knew that she had filled her head and she locked her Olympic team. “Beyoncé is going to Paris,” she said afterwards, choking back tears.