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Kailin Chio, a sophomore gymnast at LSU, is gaining recognition in 2026 for her exceptional talent, positioning her as one of the greatest college gymnasts. Her performance is drawing attention typically reserved for more mainstream sports.
BATON ROUGE, LA - JANUARY 23: Kailin Chio of the LSU Tigers in action against the Kentucky Wildcasts on January 23, 2026 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Georgia Jones/LSU/University Images via Getty Images)
University Images via Getty Images
Outside of an Olympic year, gymnasts typically do not receive the same level of coverage as their football-playing or three-point-shooting counterparts. But every so often, an athlete emerges whose talent transcends their sport.
In 2026, that athlete is LSU gymnast Kailin Chio. Sheâs only a sophomore, but Chio is on pace to become one of the greatest college gymnasts ever.
Already an NCAA Champion, an SEC All-Around Champion, and the No. 1-ranked gymnast in the nation, the star sets her sights on more hardware this Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas.
Chio and the No. 2 LSU Tigers will compete in the first of two national semifinals in the âElite Eight,â seeking a berth to Saturdayâs NCAA National Championship. Along with a talented lineup of top transfers and former elites, Chio hopes to lead the Tigers to the programâs second NCAA title in three years.
She currently leads the nation in the all-around, vault, and beam, making her the favorite for the individual title even in a field that includes Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles.
In 2025, Chioâs freshman season was fantastic: she was named SEC Freshman of the Year and won the NCAA vault title. However, her sophomore season has been historic. Sheâs no longer just a star â she is a statistical anomaly.
MORE FROM FORBESThe Top Contenders For The 2026 NCAA Gymnastics All-Around TitleBy Caroline Price
After more than 40 years in the sport, former ESPN commentator and Olympic medalist Kathy Johnson-Clarke has seen it all. However, the gymnastics legend doesnât hesitate: "Kailin Chio is special.â
Despite competing in one of the more difficult vaults in college gymnastics â a Yurchenko 1.5 â Chio has recorded an unprecedented streak. Across 14 weeks of competition, the sophomore stuck all but two vaults, resulting in a staggering 83% stick rate. She earned a 9.9 or higher on all but one.
In NCAA gymnastics, a 9.900 is considered the âgold standardâ score for teams with championship aspirations. In 2026, Chio made that standard her baseline, posting a 9.900 or higher on 45 of 54 routines.
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - MARCH 13: Kailin Chio of the LSU Tigers in action against the Arkansas Razorbacks at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on March 13, 2026 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by LSU Athletics/University Images via Getty Images)
University Images via Getty Images
That data was particularly unprecedented on beam, where Chio recorded the highest season average in the sportâs 40-plus-year history. Across 12 weeks of regular-season competition, she never scored below a 9.925 on beam.
LSU Head Coach Jay Clark has coached some of the sportâs all-time greats, including 13-time NCAA Champion Courtney Kupets-Carter (Georgia) and former LSU standout Haleigh Bryant. He believes the âChio differenceâ stems from her ability to master one of the most difficult aspects of gymnastics: the blind landing.
Blind landings occur when an athlete lands in the opposite direction from which they initiated the skill, limiting their ability to âspotâ the ground. For Chio, these landings have been anything but blind. The sophomore regularly nails her landings on vault, beam, and floor: her three strongest events.
"Itâs a rare level of spatial awareness that I donât know [Iâve] ever seen that at that level,â Clark reflected in an interview with ESPN.
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - MARCH 1: Kailin Chio and head coach Jay Clark of the LSU Tigers in action against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on March 1, 2026 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Emily Hodgkinson/University Images via Getty Images}
University Images via Getty Images
Part of the sophomoreâs prowess comes from her ownership of her own gymnastics. Behind her âuncannyâ air awareness is an athlete fully in tune with her abilities. From a coaching standpoint, "sheâs as low maintenance as there is," Clark says. âYou donât have to give her a whole lot.â
If Chio makes a small mistake, she doesnât need a coach to step in. âShe knows where it is" on her own. The sophomore quickly determines her own adjustments, corrects the error, and moves on.
This technical mastery creates what Johnson-Clarke calls Chioâs âspecial sauceââthe ability to find a stick even when a landing isnât technically perfect. âEven when [the landing] is less than perfectly ready for a [stick], she adds her special sauce: the finesse of getting a stick,â Johnson-Clarke noted.
Heading into Fort Worth, Chio has stuck all of her last five vaults. The real streak could be even more staggering: Chio is reportedly just as sharp in training.
In 35 years of collegiate coaching, Clark hasnât seen anything like it. âItâs uncanny," he reflected. â[What Chio does] has just flabbergasted all of us who know what it takes,â Johnson-Clarke added.
Chioâs remarkable self-sufficiency and consistency have instilled confidence across the stacked LSU lineup. Though Chio only statistically âanchorsâ vault and balance beam, she has become the psychological anchor of every rotationâa role previously held by LSU legends like Sarah Finnegan and Haleigh Bryant.
"I think [Chioâs reliability] is immense," Clark said. âIt causes everyone to settle in and to know that sheâs later in the lineup. She is a calming and reassuring presence.â
In the final stretch of the college gymnastics season, Kailin Chio has not dialed out once. With the season finale on the horizon, she has already put down arguably one of the greatest seasons in gymnastics history.
The sophomore broke LSUâs single-season record with 12 perfect tens â edging out former teammate Haleigh Bryant â and is on pace to shatter the all-time NCAA 10.0 record of 28. In March, Chio became the first athlete in NCAA history to score a 'perfect 30â: three tens across three routines in a single competition.
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - MARCH 13: Kailin Chio of the LSU Tigers scores three perfect 10's against the Arkansas Razorbacks at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on March 13, 2026 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by LSU Athletics/University Images via Getty Images)
University Images via Getty Images
Though the gymnastics community continues to buzz over Chioâs records and streak of stuck vaults, the sentiment isnât shared by leadership in Baton Rouge. The LSU coach is admittedly superstitious.
"I donât even like talking about it," Clark says, comparing Chioâs consistency to a baseball pitcher on a streak. You donât talk to the pitcher whoâs hot, he reasons. Have them âsit at the end of the bench, and nobody talk to [them].â
While fans and experts eagerly track her trajectory toward history, Clark insists the 10.0 milestone is a conversation for another time. "Those records donât mean a whole lot to me. They donât mean a whole lot to [Chio]," he noted. "I think right now, what sheâs capable of achieving in this sport is leading her team to a great deal of success."
As LSU moves into the spotlight in Fort Worth this week, all eyes will be on Chioâbut the starâs focus remains on her gymnastics and her team. "Sheâs just very grounded and understands her process," Clark told me.
âShe understands that her contribution, while it garners most of the press clippings, is just one cog in the wheel of a team.â
Still, Johnson-Clarke poignantly notes that the current competitive environment is unlike anything the sport has seen. She describes the current NCAA eraâwith its flourishing broadcast coverage and "obsession with huge scores"âas a âperfect storm.â Chio hasnât just weathered the storm: she has mastered it.
âWhat is special about Kailin is her ability to quiet all the noise and anticipation and excitement,â Johnson-Clarke observed. âShe channels [nerves] in such a positive way that itâs fuel. She just uses it.â
On Thursday, April 16, that team looks to take another step toward its second NCAA championship in three years. With top transfers, star freshmen, and former Team USA athletes suiting up in the Purple and Gold, the âFightinâ Tigersâ look ready to do what they do best: fightâand win.
MORE FROM FORBESHow To Watch The 2026 NCAA Gymnastics ChampionshipsBy Caroline Price
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
Kailin Chio has shown exceptional talent in NCAA gymnastics, positioning herself as a standout athlete in 2026.
Kailin Chio is increasing the visibility of gymnastics by drawing attention typically reserved for football and basketball athletes.
Kailin Chio represents Louisiana State University (LSU) in NCAA gymnastics.
Kailin Chio is considered one of the greatest college gymnasts ever due to her remarkable talent and performance as a sophomore in 2026.

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