“MY MOTIVATION IS THE HIGHEST IT’S EVER BEEN”

In an exclusive interview with Inside Gymnastics, 2025 U.S. balance beam bronze medalist and 2025 World Cup Series floor exercise champion Jayla Hang announced she will defer enrollment to Florida to train for LA28. Hang also told us she hopes to do beam at the upcoming Xfinity U.S. Championships.

With the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles just two years out, Hang, who is committed to compete in NCAA gymnastics at the University of Florida, told us she’s more excited than ever to get back out on the competition floor and pursue her dream to LA28, and do it while training at Pacific Reign.

Throughout our conversation, she was relaxed, confident, and so happy to finally share more of her journey from the last 10 months.

“I will be planning on deferring, so I will be training at Pacific Reign for the next two years up until the Olympics. So that’s really exciting!” Hang said. “I was definitely going back and forth with going to college or not, but we came to the conclusion that’s what’s best for how my gymnastics journey will go right now and just overall my body, my mental health, everything.”

Hang noted that, to pursue her Olympic dream, it would be best to remain consistent with her current Elite training schedule, and stay at home, where she’s most comfortable. “I don’t do that well with change. So I think just keeping it the same for the next two years would be where I succeed the best.

“Going to college is something I’m so excited for, but I’m not going to rush into that. I think just maturing, staying here with my coaches, my family, it’s something I’m going to be most comfortable doing. And just under my coaches, who I’m so comfortable with, that’s where I see myself succeeding the most.”

She’s very grateful for the encouragement she’s received from the Gator coaches throughout the process as well. “They’re amazing,” Hang said. “They’ve been so great. Their support — they always tell me I can go to them if I have any questions. They’ve been so supportive.”

With her Elite path now set, Hang, a replacement athlete for the U.S. women’s team for the 2025 World Championships, and who is known for her attention to detail and artistry in every routine, continues to focus on recovering from wrist surgery last fall and the complications that arose as a result. 

“I’ve been dealing with my wrist injury for a little bit now. I had a first surgery back in October because I had a fracture that wasn’t healing. Over the course of a couple of months, the fracture did end up healing, but some symptoms weren’t going away. We talked to the doctor, and my PT and we all came to a conclusion that I was allergic to the screw, which is really rare and something that I would have never guessed in the whole time recovering.”

Hang had a second surgery in March to remove the screw. When she returned to the gym, she said it felt like she was starting from scratch. Hang dug deep, put in the work, and has found joy in every daily accomplishment and improvement, big or small, as her skills come back. She’s excited to be back in the gym every day to see what she can accomplish.

“It’s feeling so much better, but I’m still not 100% yet. I’m slowly getting back some of my skills that I used to do. It’s been really exciting just taking the little steps and getting back to doing gymnastics again. It’s been definitely a long process, but I’m excited for what’s to come.”

She also found a resilience she didn’t know she had.

“It definitely wasn’t easy. Coming off a high from last season, I really had to find my why, especially in gymnastics and why I’m doing it all. I had so many great memories, and then this season where I haven’t competed—I’ve missed so many camps, trainings, competitions. It’s been pretty hard, but keeping my motivation high and being ready for the next time I do get out there, I’m just so excited for that.”

The last few months have been difficult for Hang for sure, but also enlightening.

“Especially the deferring part, there was so much to think about during that time,” she said. “Overall, I think I’ve grown a lot as a person too, just cheering on my teammates so much more and being a supportive person that they can come to.”

Throughout it all, Hang has relied on her coaches at Pacific Reign for support. Keeping things as normal as possible for her as she recovers has made all the difference in her progress.

“The support from my coaches is amazing, especially with my injury. They’ve been nothing but supportive and patient with me. They’ve talked to me and just uplifted me every day. The amount of passion they have for me, and the sport, just shows because they’re always making sure I’m never just sitting there watching. Every day I come to the gym with an assignment, a task I have to do. They’ve been amazing.”

Not surprisingly, being back out on the competition floor with her teammates is where her heart is, and Hang will be cheering them all on at the U.S. Classic this weekend in Hartford, CT. 

“It’s definitely been really hard, but my motivation is probably the highest it’s ever been just to get all these skills back and just dreaming a little bit. I’m really motivated for the next upcoming season, and I’m excited to compete again, just compete with my girls. I just can’t wait to be back out there.”

Look for more on this story next week right here on InsideGym.com and on Inside Gymnastics magazine’s YouTube channel.

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