From Romania To California, College Gymnastics Recruiting Goes Global

DRESDEN, GERMANY – AUGUST 1: Emma Malewski of TuS Chemnitz-Altendorf reacts after her exercise during day two of the multi sport event Die Finals at JOYNEXT Arena on August 1, 2025 in Dresden, Germany. (Photo by Tom Weller/Getty Images)

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In the NCAA’s Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) era, another hot commodity is shaping the landscape of collegiate gymnastics: top international talent.

From Olympic medalists to European champions and rising global contenders, many of the world’s top gymnasts have begun flocking to the NCAA ranks.

This was not always the case.

Before The NIL Rule Change

Before the landmark NIL rules took effect in 2021, elite international talent was a rarity on the U.S. collegiate stage. In fact, elite talent of any kind was rare.

Thanks to the modified NIL rules, top elite gymnasts can now balance professional business opportunities with competing in the NCAA. Before 2021, U.S. elite gymnasts were often tasked with deciding whether to ‘go pro’ and monetize their name, image, and likeness, or forgo all financial benefits to focus on college athletics.

The decision was difficult, especially given that it was often assigned to teenage athletes on the cusp of their ‘peak’ years in elite gymnastics. Six-time Olympic medalist Aly Raisman confronted the decision in 2011 at just age seventeen.

With an offer in hand to compete for the three-time NCAA Florida Gators, the eventual Olympic gold medalist had to determine if ‘going pro’ would be worth forgoing the college gymnastics experience.

Taking a leap of faith, Raisman declined the offer to compete for the SEC powerhouse. A year later, her decision proved correct, as she went on to win three Olympic medals (two of them gold) at the 2012 London Olympics.

Four years later, she ascended to legendary status, securing three more Olympic medals at the 2016 Olympic Games. With countless accolades to her name, Raisman quickly attracted significant sponsorship and opportunity offers, including a major brand partnership with Aerie and a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut.

However, her Olympic teammate was less fortunate. Jordyn Wieber made the same decision as Raisman, choosing to maintain her professional status and forgo NCAA opportunities. In 2011, she won the World all-around title, solidifying herself as a frontrunner for Olympic gold in London.

At the time, Wieber’s decision seemed wholly logical. However, Wieber’s all-around title dreams came to a crashing halt in the qualification round, missing the final by 0.233. When she fell short of the all-around final, her earning potential fell with her.

To make matters worse, the UCLA-bound gymnast could not channel her elite disappointment into NCAA competition. Due to signing professional contracts during her career, Wieber was barred from participating on any NCAA gymnastics team. If she wanted to compete in gymnastics again, it would have to be on the elite stage.

Though she went on to establish herself as a young talent in NCAA gymnastics coaching – and now coaches the Arkansas Razorbacks – Wieber never competed again.

After The NIL Rule Change

In 2025, the world’s best gymnasts can have it all: Olympic glory, NCAA camaraderie, and untapped earning potential. Two-time Olympian Jordan Chiles has excelled in this newfound era of athlete opportunity.

In 2021, Chiles won an Olympic silver medal. In 2022, she began her tenure with UCLA Gymnastics and became a two-time NCAA Champion. Later that year, she claimed three medals at the world championships. In 2024, she won Olympic gold.

Nine months later, she led UCLA to a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championships and clinched her third individual NCAA title.

Amid her countless national and international successes, Chiles secured multiple partnerships, including recent deals with Hero Cosmetics and CorePower Yoga. At the time of publication, she is balancing Dancing With The Stars training with college practices for her senior season at UCLA.

Chiles has done it all: won major international medals, enjoyed the American college experience, and padded her pocketbooks. If a Team USA gymnast can enjoy the best of both worlds, why can’t her international competitors?

They can – and they are.

With the NCAA Gymnastics season just over a month away, the sport has never looked more internationally diverse. More than 70 gymnasts from international nations are slated to compete in 2026 for Division I programs.

From Hungary to Peru to Wales and Turkey, today’s NCAA gymnasts come from across the globe, representing over 20 countries.

Countries represented in 2026: Argentina, Barbados, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, England, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Mexico, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, Wales

College Gymnastics Goes International

International gymnasts aren’t just joining the NCAA in high numbers – they’re bringing top talent. I spoke to the head gymnastics coaches of two leading programs in NCAA gymnastics who recently landed high-profile international recruits: Stanford Head Coach Tabitha Yim and Clemson Co-Head Coach Justin Howell.

The Stanford Cardinal women’s gymnastics team heads into 2026 as the defending ACC Champions, winning the conference championship in their first appearance post-conference realignment.

The Cardinal boasts a star-powered freshman class, headlined by three international talents from Romania, Sweden, and the Philippines.

2024 Philippine Olympian Levi Jung-Ruivivar joins the Cardinal as a redshirt freshman and won a bronze medal at the 2024 Asian Games. Swedish National team member Jennifer Williams makes her highly anticipated NCAA debut this winter and enters the season rated as a five-star recruit by College Gym News. Williams is internationally renowned for her elegance and form, and was a finalist on balance beam and floor exercise at this year’s European championships.

No international name is bigger than Ana Bărbosu’s. The Stanford freshman made headlines last August for her implication in the Olympic floor final controversy. Bărbosu earned bronze after a controversial medal reallocation involving U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles. The medal was historic, marking Romania’s first since 2016.

She continued to collect hardware in 2025. Ana claimed four medals at the European championships, including a bronze in the all-around and gold on floor exercise. The all-around medal was the first all-around medal won by a Romanian in 12 years.

When she announced her commitment to compete for the Cardinal, Bărbosu made history again. She would become the first individual Olympic medalist from a country other than the United States to compete in NCAA gymnastics.

“For many international student-athletes, their home countries don’t offer the same opportunity to pursue competitive athletics as part of the student experience,” Stanford Head Coach Tabitha Yim says.

The chance to train, compete, and earn a world-class education in a team environment can be incredibly appealing,” Yim adds.

NCAA gymnastics offers athletes an opportunity to embrace – and be fully embraced by – a team. Bărbosu referenced this sensation in her official announcement, noting that the Stanford gymnastics environment “felt just like family.”

Another European gymnastics champion will join Bărbosu in the NCAA: Germany’s Emma Malewski. The 2022 European Champion on balance beam announced her surprise commitment to compete for the Clemson Tigers in July. With the former University of California coaches, Justin and Liz Crandall-Howell, at the helm for the Tigers, Malewski joins an upgraded Clemson team eyeing its first ACC title.

Clemson’s coach echoed the same team-centered sentiment. “International Gymnastics (FIG) is very different from the collegiate model,” Howell says. We have different rules and the team aspect is the most important component.”

“I think international athletes are really drawn to the excitement, energy, and camaraderie of team competition in the NCAA. ”

The “collegiate model” is “special,” Howell adds, attesting to a “spike of interest in NCAA gymnastics across the globe.” The Howells are among the sport’s most prolific international recruiters, bringing British world medalist Ondine Achampong to Cal before their departure. Don’t be fooled – this isn’t a fad for NCAA recruiting.

The duo just announced Clemson’s stacked 2026 signing class, headlined by Romanian national champion Ella Oprea.

Further, when athletes of the caliber of Bărbosu and Malewski bring their internationally renowned talents to U.S. collegiate soil, all parties benefit. In a sport where execution and stage presence go hand in hand, international experience can help elevate a team’s results – and potential – to new heights.

“International athletes bring a wealth of diverse experiences that are invaluable to the growth of a team,” Howell reflects. The star international athletes “broaden our horizons,” Coach Yim adds. ”Their presence is a powerful part of our team’s development both as athletes and as people.”

In just under two months, fans will get to watch the stars align on the collegiate stage.