2024 Olympics: Gymnast Hezly Rivera Details Her Journey to Team USA (Exclusive)
Jordan Chiles is springing into a second role at the Paris Olympics.
Best friend and teammate Simone Biles revealed that, aside from shining on the mat during the 2024 Summer Games, Jordan is also the go-to hair stylist on Team USA.
“She’s the [hair] braider on the team,” Simone told Elle in an interview published July 17. “We can all go to her for braids.”
Teamwork makes the dream work for Simone, Jordan, Suni Lee, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera when they compete in France. In fact, the five gymnasts are planning to share their beauty products during the event. As Simone put it, “When we put it together, we got everything we need.”
It’s no surprise that Jordan leads the team's hairstyling. The 23-year-old, who calls herself “that girl,” reflected on how her racial identity helped her lean into beauty.
“I went to a predominantly white school growing up, so I was a typical Black girl thinking she was white,” she explained to Harper’s Bazaar in an interview published July 15. “I had to be able to figure out how to embrace myself and my beauty.”
photosFirst Look at Team USA's Gymnastics Uniforms for 2024 Paris Olympics
“The fun part was dressing up and doing my hair and doing makeup and being able to incorporate that within my competitions,” she continued. “It shows a different side of me.”
The silver medalist was also inspired to embrace fashion and beauty by American track and field runner Florence “Flo-Jo” Griffith Joyner, who was known for wearing vibrant four-inch nails and jewelry at competitions.
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
As Jordan recalled, “I thought: ‘Okay, if she was able to do that on track, why can’t we do that in other sports? Why can’t I do that with gymnastics?’”
“There’s a typical way you’re supposed to look in gymnastics,” she continued. “I thought, ‘Why can’t I just change that part of it? If I can do really cool and unique fashion looks with my leotards, why can’t I also do that with my makeup or my hair?’”
Harry How/Getty Images
And since then, she’s developed her style: a full-glam makeup look and matching leotard.
“It all just makes me feel more confident,” she added. “It makes me feel like I am who I am. It makes me feel like I can just enjoy my personality and be something that God created me to be, and it was not to be shy, it wasn’t to be embarrassed of who I was, but to actually embrace who I am.”
As we wait for the 2024 Olympics to commence, keep reading to see where some of the most iconic gymnasts are now.