Jordan Carroll can already picture himself competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. “I’ve actually had dreams of me competing in the Olympics. I’ll wake up and be like, ‘I just did a great routine for the Olympic crowd,’” the 20-year-old Saskatoon gymnast told CTV News at Taiso Gymnastics Club, where he trains. “It’s been my dream forever.” Olympic dreams run in Carroll’s family. His sister represented Canada in artistic swimming at the 2024 Paris Games, while his mom competed in diving at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. “I saw my sister go, I’ve heard stories of my mom going and I want to make it my own story,” Carroll said. Carroll’s gymnastics story started when he was six. He trained across several events before finding his strength in pommel horse. At 18, he began focusing exclusively on the event — and his rise since then has been quick. Carroll recently won gold in pommel horse at the Commonwealth Games, putting up a personal-best score of 15. “My coach and I have been pushing for 15 for a really long time, and this is the first time I ever got it,” Carroll said. “To do it on that big stage, it really felt perfect.” His longtime coach, Markos Baikas, agrees. “That 15 is a big thing,” Baikas said, explaining that reaching that level shows Carroll has the potential to compete against the world’s best. Baikas has coached Carroll since he was about seven, watching him grow up in the gym. He describes Carroll as an easy athlete to coach — outgoing, positive and humble. Carroll is preparing for world trials in Montreal in September, where he’ll try to earn a spot at the world championships. Carroll said his focus is consistency. He isn’t looking to make dramatic changes to his routine, but wants to reach the 15-point mark more regularly. He’s hoping his Commonwealth performance is the beginning of a run that ultimately takes him to Los Angeles. For Baikas, the thought of seeing an athlete he’s coached for more than a decade eventually reach the Olympics is already emotional. “I have goosebumps,” Baikas said.
