US gymnast Jordan Chiles says her long nails hold her accountable on the mat — here's how

Jordan Chiles’ Beyoncé-inspired floor routine got her all the way to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Chiles, who is competing in the Olympics for the second time, pays homage to the 32-time Grammy winner in her floor routine through her choice of Beyoncé inspired music and choreography.

At the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials in June, Chiles performed a routine that strayed from tradition. Bijoya “BJ” Das, the assistant coach for the UCLA women’s gymnastics team, choreographed Chiles’ floor routine and made the decision to opt for a “Renaissance” inspired mix rather than for the typical classical music approach.

“She’s there to change the game,” Das told the Los Angeles Times of Chiles. “She’s there to make an impact and she’s there to empower other gymnasts to just be themselves.”

Das said that she consulted with her friends, who are fellow Beyoncé fans, on which of the singer’s choreography to include during the routine. One of the moves is Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” pose, which Chiles did with her open hands above her head and her wrists crossed after her second tumbling pass of the routine.

“I knew Jordan’s gymnastics and her performance ability would speak for itself,” Das explained. “And if you couldn’t see the artistry in that, then maybe you need to open up your mind a little.”

In May, Chiles opened up about her Beyoncé-inspired motto for 2024 in an interview shared on the official YouTube channel for Olympics Gymnastics.

“If you guys want to know what my motto is this year, my motto is ‘I’m that girl,’” she said, referring to the first track on the singer’s album “Renaissance.”

Chiles added, “Because I feel like I’ve proved enough to this world that I feel like I don’t have to express a lot. I don’t have to, you know, change anything, and I can just be authentic to who I want to be.”

When performing her floor routine at the 2024 Xfinity U.S. Championships in May, Chiles combined her ode to the singer with a custom leotard. NBC Philadelphia reported that the look was inspired by a colorful shimmering bodysuit Beyoncé wore during the “Renaissance” tour.

In addition to her Beyoncé inspired motto and routine, Chiles recently revealed another a surprising tip that helps her as an athlete: her nails.

Chiles told The Associated Press that while she gets a lot of questions about how she performs her routines with long nails, the Olympic silver medalist said that her nails help her with her technique.

“That’s really how I make sure I don’t break a nail,” she said. “Have I broken one? Yes. Has one literally broken in half and started bleeding? Yes.”

Chiles added, “I can do gymnastics with nails. It’s like how when people always have to have that one little touch of who they are within their sport. Mine’s my nails.”

For fans who are eager to see if Chiles will bring her Beyoncé-inspired floor routine to the Paris Olympics, the women's gymnastics qualifying rounds start on July 28, with women's finals to run between July 29 and Aug. 5.

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This article was originally published on TODAY.com