After a break from social media, US gymnast Jordan Chiles has publicly opened up about the Olympic Committee’s decision to strip her bronze medal.
(Getty Images.)
Jordan Chiles secured the third spot on the podium in the women’s floor exercise final on August 5, 2024, marking a historic moment with an all-Black women winner’s circle. She stood alongside her Team USA teammate Simone Biles and Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade.
Controversy arose over the scoring adjustments that led to Chiles’ medal opportunity. Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu had secured a score of 13.700, seemingly locking in the Bronze medal before Chiles took the mat. As the final competitor of the day, Chiles earned a score of 13.666, placing her in fifth.
Forty-seven seconds later, Team USA head coach Cecile Landi went to the judges to request an inquiry into the scoring, which appeared to omit Chiles’ routine’s difficulty points. After adjusting, the judges updated her score to 13.766, which ultimately placed her in third.
(Alex Gottschalk, Getty Images.)
Almost one week later, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) received an appeal from the Romanian Federation of Gymnastics (FRG), disputing the timing in which USA logged their inquiry and asking that the amended scores be reversed. CAS ruled that Chiles’ score must go back to its original standing and that she be stripped of her medal, to be reallocated to Barbosu.
The FRG has publicly denounced CAS's decision, emphasizing that they never asked for the medal to be revoked and reallocated. Instead, they specifically requested that the gymnasts share the medal.
After taking a break from social media for her mental health as USA Gymnastics has taken several avenues to get her medal reinstated, Chiles took to Instagram to make a statement.
“I have no words,” she stated. “This decision feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey.” Chiles went on to condemn the “unprompted racially driven attacks” which she called “wrong and extremely hurtful.”
“I’ve poured my heart and soul into this sport and I am so proud to represent my culture and my country.”
In a recent turn of events, USA Gymnastics has filed an appeal against the CAS decision to strip Jordan Chiles of her medal, presenting timestamped video evidence that all inquiries were submitted within the required timeframe. Despite this, the sports arbitration body has declared its ruling final. Undeterred, USA Gymnastics has revealed plans to escalate the issue to the Swiss high court. Meanwhile, Jordan Chiles remains resilient, describing this as “the biggest challenge of her career” and expressing her determination to face it head-on.
“I will approach this challenge as I have others––and will make every effort to ensure that justice is done,” she wrote. “I believe that at the end of this journey, the people in control will do the right thing.”
#gymnastics #jordanchiles #blackgymnasts #womeninsports #olympian #goldmedalist #parisolympics #yotalkinash
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