During the 2024 Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships in Kali, Colombia, a 17-year-old Bellevue gymnastics pro captivated the audience and won the coveted all-around title. Earlier that year, she had placed second in the all-around and fourth on beam at the Winter Cup in Louisville. But despite her breakout performances, the dream she held dearest—competing at the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team Trials—slipped away.

Yes, that’s what happened to Jayla Hang, a rising gymnastics star. She watched her Olympic hopes fade last year, missing the trials and with them, a chance to compete in Paris. But setbacks? They don’t define her—they fuel her. Fast forward to today, and Jayla’s back in the spotlight, stronger and more determined than ever. Now a five-star recruit and the No. 2 pick in the Florida Gators’ Class of 2026, Hang is turning heads—and turning the page.

With her eyes set on the 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta this October, Jayla Hang is ready to rewrite the narrative. This could be the moment she’s been building toward—a world-class redemption arc in the making. The mindset is ready, though.

“Not making trials definitely wasn’t how I expected it to be,” she told Olympics.com. “But I feel like coming into this year, 2025, I’m a lot more motivated and I know what I need to do to get better in the gym. The motivation is a lot more than it was last year because it wasn’t how I expected it to be.” The hunger is real. The lessons from last year? Even more valuable. Her coach, Cale Robinson, who has mentored Jayla since 2019 at Pacific Reign Gymnastics, sees the shift.

“I think sometimes when you don’t get something that you want, you realize how bad you wanted it,” Robinson reflected. “It was just a catalyst for a different level of maturity and approach in her everyday training, not getting frazzled by bad turns or bad days and letting them snowball. She’s really just taking control of her gymnastics, and she’s grown up a lot over the last year.” Robinson and Hang are approaching this season with calculated precision, building skills slowly and methodically, only when they’re competition-ready. Jayla is currently training for the high-difficulty Amanar vault, a major move that could elevate her international credentials. She even teased it recently on Instagram—whether it debuts in 2025 remains to be seen. But one thing is certain—Jayla Hang isn’t just hoping for a better year. She’s working for it. The results are here. 

The gymnastics phenom is making her road slowly but steadily 

At the Osijek Gymnastics World Cup earlier this year, the gymnastics phenom made a powerful statement in the qualifiers. She delivered a brilliant 13.800 on balance beam and followed it up with a strong 13.766 on uneven bars, locking in top-tier scores across the board. Her performances landed her among the top two qualifiers in every event she entered – proving she’s not just consistent—she’s elite. But it was on the floor exercise where Jayla Hang truly stole the show. 

Hang impressed the viewers with artistry and athleticism, capturing first place in the final with a score of 13.466. On beam, she held strong to finish second overall, capping off an outstanding meet in Croatia. Then came Antalya. It wasn’t her peak—she placed sixth on floor—but it was enough. Combined with her Osijek triumph, Jayla clinched the 2025 FIG World Cup Series Trophy in Floor Exercise, a massive milestone in her blossoming international career. So, from near-miss Olympic dreams in 2024 to World Cup gold in 2025, Jayla Hang is flipping the script with grace, grit, and sky-high potential. And this could just be the beginning.