In the 11 Olympic medals in gymnastics South Korea has so far won, one category has remained missing: an Olympic gold medal in women’s artistic gymnastics. That could change as 20-year-old Chloe Cho aims to represent South Korea at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The American-born gymnast, who has already earned 41 individual titles during her NCAA career, is pursuing a nationality change for a deeply personal reason and hopes to make history under the Korean flag.

On June 29, Cho, who has represented the United States in elite gymnastics competitions, revealed her dream of competing for South Korea at the Olympics. “It would be such an honor to represent my father’s country at the 2028 Olympics in my hometown of Los Angeles,” Cho said.

For Cho, this dream is about much more than gymnastics. It is about family, identity and honoring the country that connects her to her late father. Born and raised in Santa Clarita, California, Cho grew up between two cultures. Her father was born in South Korea before moving to the United States, while her mother is American. Although she built her gymnastics career in America, Korean traditions remained a part of her life through her family, food and childhood memories.

After her father passed away in 2025 due to a prolonged illness, her aspiration to represent South Korea was strengthened even further. Her loss was devastating, and she took a break from gymnastics for almost three months in the process. Cho used to call her father after each competition to share her results. After his passing, Cho found that gymnastics became a way to keep sharing those moments with him. “I was already planning to study abroad in Korea, and suddenly the idea of competing for Korea became so important to me,” she said.

The idea of competing for South Korea became even more meaningful after she planned her first trip to the country. Despite having Korean roots, Cho visited South Korea for the first time only in June 2026. She traveled to Korea for a summer program at Chungnam National University, where she studied and trained alongside Korean gymnasts. She also competed as a guest athlete at the 51st KBS Cup National Gymnastics Championships.

This experience deepened her relationship with the country and her aspiration to represent South Korea in the Olympics became all the stronger. If Cho reaches the 2028 Olympics and wins gold, she would become the first South Korean woman to achieve that milestone.

The road to Los Angeles is not a simple one, however. Cho is requesting special naturalization in South Korea; if she is approved, she will become a citizen of both countries. She would then have to secure approval from the International Gymnastics Federation as well as a spot on South Korea’s national team.

But before she can chase an Olympic dream under the Korean flag, her journey begins with the years of training in American gymnastics.

Chloe Cho’s rise through the U.S. gymnastics system

Chloe Cho started gymnastics at the age of 6 and quickly developed into a talented gymnast and eventually entered the U.S. elite gymnastics pathway. She competed as a U.S. senior elite gymnast and took part in major national competitions, including the 2024 U.S. Championships, where she recorded personal bests in the all-around.

Cho was regarded as one of the brightest young gymnasts in the U.S. system before making the leap to college gymnastics. She reached elite level after qualifying for nationals as a Level 10 state champion. In 2025, Cho began her NCAA career with the University of Illinois women’s gymnastics team, and as a freshman, she was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Her success continued in her sophomore season. Cho earned WCGA Regular Season All-American honors, was named to the All-Big Ten First Team for a second straight year, and collected 41 career event titles, including 25 in her sophomore season. She also posted a career-best 39.575 all-around score, which ranks among the highest scores in Illinois program history.

Cho’s strongest event is the uneven bars, where she has been ranked among the top gymnasts nationally. She has also won titles across multiple events, including bars, beam, floor and all-around, showing her ability as a complete gymnast.

Now, with success already behind her, she is preparing for the biggest challenge yet: turning her Olympic dream of representing South Korea into reality.