Kailin Chio Is Setting The Standard In NCAA Gymnastics
Heading into the 2026 NCAA Gymnastics Championships, No. 1 gymnast Kailin Chio is rewriting the record books. As LSU chases its second national title, meet the sophomore who is already a once-in-a-generation talent.
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. She’s 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 ‘Elite Eight,’ seeking a berth to Saturday’s NCAA National Championship.
Along with a talented lineup of top transfers and former elites, Chio hopes to lead the Tigers to the program’s 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, Chio’s freshman season was fantastic: she was named SEC Freshman of the Year and won the NCAA vault title.
Continue to the original source for the full article.