“3RD PLACE TEAM IN THE NATION LFG TIGERS” captioned 24-year-old gymnast as Missouri finished third with a score of 197.2125 in the 2025 NCAA women’s gymnastics finals. This redshirt senior had a very important role to play in this finish, as she ensured that she dominated the beam every time she went up there. In the finals as well, she scored 9.9650 on beam routine, taking the event title. Now, this might not have been enough to defeat Jordan Chiles’ UCLA. But her recent action has left not just fans but Chiles as well gushing. What did she do?
Helen HU took to Twitter on May 1st, 2025. The woman posted two pictures in a black top that showed off her arms. But why would she go to flex her biceps? Well, because she had ink over it. The 24-year-old gymnast has gotten a new tattoo on her upper arm, and now just any tattoo, this is the tattoo of her beam routine. And Jordan Chiles couldn’t stop herself, and the next thing you know, the Olympian quoted the tweet and wrote, “Iconic.”
Hu has been a phenomenal performer on the beam. She captured the 2025 NCAA national title on balance beam with a dazzling 9.9875 in the semifinals, becoming the first-ever individual NCAA champion in Missouri gymnastics history. Other than this, she is the only gymnast in the nation to earn two perfect 10.0 scores on beam in 2025. Her beam routine includes a lot of acrobatics, at times she is doing a 180 with her legs behind her back. The moonwalk on the beam with a violin-playing action in her hands adds an aesthetic feel to her gymnastics, and then the run-flip-perfect landing is just perfect. Makes sense why she would get it tattooed.
The tattoo aligns very well with her moves, like the symbol on the right represents the 180-degree split she does with her legs in the very beginning of her routine. Then there is also the symbol for her front handsprings, and so is one for the split leaps she does facing both sides, there is one for each.
my beam routine pic.twitter.com/UaQANbluUb
— Helen Hu (@hu_dat_gymnast) May 1, 2025
Now, such a tattoo is bound to draw a lot of attention and praises from the fans, especially the ones with core gymnastics heart. Fans are putting the tattoo in the “Contender for coolest tattoo ever ” while others cannot just stop gushing over it.
Fans cannot stop obsessing over Helen Hu’s tattoo
Helen Hu might have once retired from the sport, but she returned, and now, with that tattoo on her arms, she has forever immortalized herself in the history books of NCAA gymnastics. The beam is now a part of her, and she is now a part of the beam. Also, fans are not wrong to say, “None of us will never ever be as cool as Helen Hu, and we should accept that as a society.” Apart from being an absolute queen on the beam, the 24-year-old once went on an 11-month backpacking trip around the world with her older sister Elaine.
Seeing the beam routine that they saw unfold over their devices or live on the beam, unfold on the hands of the gymnast, has the fans calling her “talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular“. And are they wrong? We know very well how good she is at gymnastics, and then she learned to surf during her backpacking trip. Other than that, the woman is a certified yoga instructor. From her freshman year in 2020 through her redshirt senior year in 2025, she consistently earned spots on the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Academic Honor Roll.
“I’m OBSESSED with this! A beautiful tattoo for a beautiful routine ” You cannot argue with this fan statement either. I mean, look at the acrobatics she uses in her beam routine – front handsprings, spit leaps (that too on both sides), and that too so flawlessly. Seeing the tattoo, one other fan commented, “Queen stay doing queen things even in retirement.” While she came back from her retirement this year, we might not see her in the NCAA again, see she has utilized her 5th year. But there is also no confirmation of her retirement this year, but one thing might be confirmed – she will keep doing queen things.
The post ‘Iconic’: Jordan Chiles Joins Fans as 24-Year-Old Gymnastics Star Marks NCAA Farewell With Bold Tribute appeared first on EssentiallySports.