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Chiles, USA Win Gold at World Championships

by uclabruins.com
Nov 1, 2022
Jordan Chiles (fourth from left) and Team USA won gold at the World Championships

UCLA sophomore Jordan Chiles won her first career World Championships medal, leading the U.S. to a team gold medal on Tuesday in Liverpool, England. The U.S. set a new record by winning its sixth consecutive World Championship title and has qualified to the 2024 Olympic Games.

Chiles competed on all four events during the team final and was one of only two gymnasts to contribute three scores of 14.0 or higher. She kicked off the competition on vault in rotation one with a hit Yurchenko double full. Her score of 14.40 ranked second-best on the event for the U.S., who grabbed the lead after one rotation with a score of 43.133, 0.434 ahead of second-place Great Britain. She hit another strong leadoff routine in rotation two, scoring 14.10 on uneven bars as the U.S. increased its lead to over two points after totaling 42.199 on the event.

A chance for redemption loomed ahead for Chiles on balance beam in rotation three. In the qualifying round, she fell twice on the apparatus, but competing second in the three-up, three-count team final, Chiles hit her routine with a team-best 13.333. Her mark allowed the U.S. to maintain its lead over Great Britain, 124.731-122.531 with one event remaining.

After two big floor scores from teammates Shilese Jones (13.733) and Jade Carey (14.10), Chiles stepped up to close out the meet needing just under 11 points for the U.S. to clinch the gold medal. She did that and more, scoring 14.00 to give the U.S. a final total of 166.564. Great Britain finished in second place with a 163.363, and Canada won its first-ever team medal with a third-place score of 160.563.

Three members of Team USA's gold medal squad competed at the NCAA Championships in the spring – Chiles for UCLA, Carey for Oregon State and Leanne Wong for Florida. They are among only six U.S. gymnasts to win World Championships gold in the same calendar year in which they competed collegiately. Chiles is the sixth Bruin gymnast to win World Championship gold, joining Tasha Schwikert (2003), Samantha Peszek (2007), Anna Li (2011), Kyla Ross (2014) and Madison Kocian (2014, 2015).

Chiles will have the opportunity to win two more medals at the individual event finals. She was the No. 2 qualifier on vault with an average of 14.316 and the No. 4 qualifier on floor exercise with a 14.100. The vault finals will take place on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 6:30am PT, and the floor exercise finals begin on Sunday, Nov. 6 at 5:30am PT. Both sessions will stream live on Peacock.

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