As the 2026 NCAA gymnastics season begins, Jordan Chiles embarks on her final collegiate journey with UCLA, shouldering the pressure of winning a national title. Following Olympic glory and a notable journey to the finale of the reality show “Dancing with the Stars,” the 24-year-old returns to Westwood for one final chapter.

The primary objective is to guide the Bruins towards their inaugural national team title since 2018, an achievement that would solidify her status as one of the most successful collegiate gymnasts of her time. The opening weekend of the season provided a glimpse of what’s to come, especially with Chiles debuting her highly anticipated new floor routine.

Influenced by her time on DWTS, Chiles performed to Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody, which then transitioned to Janet Jackson’s What Have You Done For Me Lately before ending with Stevie Wonder’s Superstitious.

It was a routine with some pretty big boots to fill after her iconic Prince routine that she performed for the last time on December 13th at UCLA’s Meet the Bruins event. But all fears were quickly allayed, with the new routine proving just as much of a hit with the crowd as her old one.

And it’s pretty clear the judges enjoyed it too, with Chiles’ impressive display of power and charisma earning her a score of 9.925. It was a trend that continued all night, with Chiles dominating all her events to win the all-around in the Best of the West Quad at Alaska Airlines Arena.

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“This is the last time we’ll see Jordan Chiles perform her iconic Prince routine,” remarked the commentators, announcing a moving farewell. Nonetheless, the new unique routine has undoubtedly captured the attention of many online.

The gymnastics community was all for Jordan Chiles’ new routine

The introduction of Jordan Chiles’ new floor exercise, accompanied by a medley of Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson left fans extremely excited. One fan, reveling in the nostalgic soundtrack, expressed, “As a child of the 80s, I totally approve of the FX music @ChilesJordan ! Paying homage to both Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson? Yes please, and thank you! Here for it!”

This fan praised the artistic choice: “Great music! And routine!” Many were impressed by her remarkable transformation, with one writing, “Idk HOW she managed to level up like this on floor but omg I liveeeee.”

Prior to debuting the routine, Chiles told reporters: “2026 is about to be a very fun year. All these girls are very special, and our freshmen definitely dominated today. I think just being able to build a team from the top to the bottom is the best thing.”

Her confidence was indeed evident in her performance. Indeed, she won all four events and the all-around in the season opener. The scores? 9.900 in vault, 9.925 in uneven bars, 9.975 in balance beam, 9.925 in floor exercise, accumulating 39.725 all-around.

A fan expressed, “This makes me want to cry, because ‘River Deep Mountain High’ will always make me think of Naya Rivera.” A fan highlighted an intriguing aspect of the meet, saying, “Oh babe 🔥🔥🔥🔥 and I always love when the teammates mark it on the side and watching them they are in love with this routine too.”

For fans, witnessing Jordan Chiles’ performance presents a chance to honor an athlete who has contributed immensely to the sport, not just through medals and scores, but through her engaging and vibrant personality.