The besties returned to the competition with their own goals. After Team USA obtained the gold medal, Simone and Jordan achieved their own individual medals. In 2018, Jordan, a talented gymnast, explained that her name derived from “His Airness” and revealed her love for sports.
She initially began her sports career playing softball but ultimately developed a passion for gymnastics. In 2017, Jordan obtained the silver in the all-around at the national championships but was not selected for the U.S. team that participated in the world championships in Montreal. Due to her belief that her coach’s methods were overbearing, she decided to leave her coach.
After enduring strict dietary restrictions, she then transitioned to living a more normal life, allowing herself to consume candy, drink Starbucks, have sleepovers with friends, and socialize without concern for its impact on her performance. At the 2018 nationals, she finished 11th in the all-around and felt that her time in the sport was concluded. However, her coaches emphasized the importance of leading a balanced and healthy social life to help manage the pressure of the sport.
Following high school, she moved to Texas, where she realized that gymnastics did not need to be solely about strictness and self-criticism. This realization occurred when she witnessed Simone compete, enjoying herself and appearing free of stress and fatigue. Following an inquiry submitted by Coach Cecile Landi about the judges’ difficulty score, the scores were updated.
Jordan accepted the medal at the podium ceremony, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) later ruled that her coach’s inquiry was submitted past the one-minute time frame.
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