Jordan Chiles just has that energy. You know the one—the kind that makes an entire arena hold its breath before they even start their music. When people talk about a Jordan Chiles perfect 10, they usually picture the viral floor routines or the stone-cold sticks on the uneven bars. But honestly, it’s about way more than just a score. It’s about a comeback. It’s about the girl who almost quit the sport entirely, only to become the soul of UCLA gymnastics and an Olympic gold medalist.
The numbers are kinda wild when you look at them. As of 2026, Chiles has racked up 11 career perfect 10s in the NCAA. If you’re keeping track at home, that breaks down to six on the floor exercise and five on the uneven bars. That’s not just "good." It’s legendary status.
The Moment It All Changed: The First 10
February 4, 2022. Write that date down. UCLA was facing off against Utah in a meet that felt more like a heavyweight title fight than a dual meet. Chiles was a freshman then, fresh off a silver medal from the Tokyo Olympics.
She stepped onto the floor. The music started. And basically, she just took over.
It wasn't just the tumbling—which was huge, by the way—it was the performance. She brought this hip-hop, high-energy vibe that Pauley Pavilion hadn't seen in a minute. When the judges flashed that first 10.0, Jordan literally melted to the floor. She wasn't just happy; she was relieved. After years of the rigid, sometimes soul-crushing elite gymnastics world, she finally found her joy again in Westwood.
Most people think a 10 is just about landing on your feet. It's not. In the NCAA, it's about the "wow" factor. It's about making the judges forget they have a pen in their hand. Chiles did that.
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Why the Jordan Chiles Perfect 10 Still Matters
You might be wondering why we're still obsessed with these scores. Gymnastics is a sport of inches—well, more like millimeters. A tiny toe-flick or a slight leg separation on a transition and boom, you're at a 9.95. Getting a 10 means you were flawless in the eyes of two (or sometimes six) different people.
The Breakdown of Perfection
Jordan's 10s aren't spread out randomly. She has very specific "power events."
- Floor Exercise: This is her playground. She’s had six perfect scores here. Her 2025 routine to a Prince medley? Pure art. Her 2026 return featured Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson. It's basically a concert where she also happens to do double layouts.
- Uneven Bars: Five perfect 10s. This is where her elite training really shows. Her handstands are so vertical they look like they were drawn with a ruler.
- Vault & Beam: Surprisingly, she hasn't hit the 10.0 mark here yet, though she’s come agonizingly close with 9.975s.
Honestly, the bars 10s are almost more impressive because there’s zero room for flair to hide a mistake. On floor, you can distract a judge with a wink or a great dance move. On bars, it’s just physics. You’re either perfect, or you’re not.
Breaking the "Elite" Mold
One thing most people get wrong about Jordan Chiles is thinking her transition from the Olympics to college was easy. It wasn't. Elite gymnastics (the Olympics stuff) is judged on a completely different scale. You start with a base score and work your way up. In college, you start at a 10 and they take away pieces of you for every mistake.
Jordan had to "unlearn" some of her habits. She had to focus on the "stick"—that moment where your feet hit the mat and don't budge. Not even a tiny shuffle.
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The 2025-2026 Comeback
After taking a year off to go win gold in Paris (no big deal, right?), Jordan came back to UCLA for her junior and senior seasons. People were worried. Would she still have that NCAA spark?
She answered that pretty quickly.
On January 18, 2025, in a meet against Maryland, she dropped a perfect 10 on bars. It was the first 10.0 on bars in the entire country that season. She followed it up with another on floor against Michigan State in February, and then another one at the Big Ten Championships in March.
She didn't just come back; she raised the bar. She’s currently majoring in African American Studies and has become a literal icon for NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals, showing that you can be a world-class athlete and a brand mogul at the same time.
What Makes a "Chiles 10" Different?
If you watch a replay of her floor 10 from the 2025 Big Ten Championships, look at her face. She isn't just "doing" gymnastics. She’s telling a story. She uses her platform to celebrate Black culture, using music from legends like Prince or Beyoncé.
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Experts like Janelle McDonald (UCLA Head Coach) often talk about Jordan’s "energy." It’s infectious. When she hits a 10, the whole team hits a 10 emotionally.
Common Misconceptions About the Perfect 10
Let's clear some stuff up.
- Is it easier to get a 10 now? Some old-school fans say yes. They call it "score inflation." While it’s true there are more 10s now than in the 90s, the technical requirements for a 10.0 starting value are actually harder.
- Does being famous help? Look, judges are human. Does the name "Jordan Chiles" carry weight? Sure. But she also performs skills that are significantly more difficult than 90% of the other girls in the NCAA. She earns the benefit of the doubt because her "easy" is most people's "impossible."
- Are all 10s equal? Technically, yes. But a 10 on the road (at an away meet) is generally considered "harder" to get because you don't have the home-crowd pressure on the judges. Chiles has hit 10s both at home in Pauley Pavilion and on the road at places like Stanford and Maryland.
The Legacy of "That Girl"
Jordan's memoir is titled I’m That Girl, and it fits. She’s the girl who proved you can be a specialist and an all-arounder. She’s the girl who showed that you can be an Olympian and still care deeply about a college dual meet on a Friday night in February.
Her perfect 10s are just the receipts. They are the physical proof of a career that has spanned over a decade of elite pressure.
Actionable Takeaways for Gymnastics Fans
If you're following Jordan's final collegiate seasons or just getting into the sport, here is how to "read" a potential 10:
- Watch the Feet: On the landing of every tumbling pass or dismount, did the heels move? If there is any "adjustment" (what we call a "step" or "hop"), it cannot be a 10.
- Check the Handstands: On bars, a gymnast must be perfectly vertical. If they are even a few degrees off, it's a deduction. Jordan is almost always dead-on.
- The "Vibe" Check: In the NCAA, artistry matters. If a gymnast looks like they are just going through the motions, they won't get that 10.0 from both judges.
- Follow the Stats: Keep an eye on the official UCLA Gymnastics roster and live scoring sites like Road to Nationals. Jordan’s scores often fluctuate based on the judging panel, so looking at the "NQS" (National Qualifying Score) gives a better picture of her true ranking than a single 10.
Jordan Chiles hasn't just chased perfection; she’s redefined what it looks like. It’s loud, it’s joyful, and it’s unapologetically her. Whether she gets another 10 or not, she’s already left the sport better than she found it.
Go check out her Prince medley routine on YouTube—seriously, do it now. It’s the best three minutes of gymnastics you’ll see this year.