"Why Not?": Jordan Chiles enlists Michael Jordan for epic LA 2028 comeback announcement
The Team USA star has ended months of uncertainty and confirmed she is chasing a third Games
Jordan Chiles spent much of the past year refusing to rush the biggest decision of her gymnastics career. Now she has made it.
The two-time Olympian has confirmed she plans to pursue a place on Team USA for the 2028 Los Angeles Games , setting up the possibility of a third Olympic appearance four years after the medal controversy that overshadowed the end of her Paris campaign.
Chiles revealed the decision in a stylized announcement filmed in Los Angeles, with model Winnie Harlow and singer Normani appearing alongside her and Michael Jordan providing the voiceover.
“Why again? Because the dream is still there. Why continue? Because there’s still more to give,” Jordan says in the video. “Why now? Because not every chapter ends when people expect it to.”
He then asks why Chiles would return for a third attempt. Her answer is immediate: “Why not?” The 25-year-old completes the reveal by showing off a jeweled grill reading “LA 2028.”
Chiles deliberately kept Olympic future open
The announcement ends months of uncertainty around whether Chiles would continue at the elite level after completing her college career with UCLA.
Earlier this year, she made clear that another Olympic run would only happen if she felt physically and mentally ready.
“The biggest thing right now is just making sure my body and my mind are okay,” Chiles said. “I did give myself a deadline on when I would decide. So it’s not a yes, it’s not a no.”
That careful approach followed an extraordinary stretch in which Chiles balanced NCAA gymnastics, television appearances and the aftermath of the Paris Olympics.
At UCLA, she finished as a four-time NCAA champion and 23-time All-American before transitioning into a student coaching role for the 2027 season. Her elite resume is already substantial.
Chiles won team silver at the Tokyo Olympics and team gold in Paris, while also collecting World Championship medals and becoming one of the most recognizable figures in American gymnastics.
Paris medal battle still hangs over career
The most painful chapter of Chiles ’ Olympic story remains unresolved. She was initially awarded bronze in the floor exercise final in Paris after a U.S. scoring inquiry raised her mark.
Romania successfully challenged the timing of that inquiry, and Chiles was later ordered to return the medal.
The case has continued through the Swiss legal system, with Switzerland’s highest court directing the Court of Arbitration for Sport to reconsider the dispute after new audiovisual evidence was presented.
“This case is bigger than one competition or one result,” Chiles later wrote. “It is about trust.”
That experience could have made Paris feel like a natural endpoint. Instead, Chiles is choosing to write another chapter. With Los Angeles hosting the next Summer Games, the opportunity carries a different weight.
Suni Lee, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera have also signaled their intention to pursue 2028, potentially setting up another fiercely competitive U.S. selection process. Chiles , however, has already answered the first question. She is coming back.
