After the International Olympic Committee (IOC) opted to deprive the American gymnast of the bronze medal she won in the floor final of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Jordan Chiles finally spoke out on Thursday.
Chiles, who began the competition fifth with a score of 13.666, had her final score increased by 0.1 points following her coach Cecile Landi’s successful appeal regarding the routine’s difficulty rating. Chiles finished with a score of 13.700, which put her in third position, ahead of Romanian gymnasts Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Voinea. As a result of a tie-breaker (a higher execution score), Barbosu placed fourth and Voinea came in fifth.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decided that Chiles’ camp’s challenge was received four seconds after the one-minute challenge limit, which was an unexpected turn of events. As a result, Chiles’ original score of 13.666 was reinstated by the International Gymnastics Federation, putting her back in fifth place.
On the third day of the gymnastics event finals at the Olympic Summer Games in Paris in 2024, Jordan Chiles celebrates winning the bronze medal in the floor exercise.
On the third day of the gymnastics event finals at the Olympic Summer Games in Paris in 2024, Jordan Chiles celebrates winning the bronze medal in the floor exercise.
When USA Gymnastics filed an appeal with the CAS, they were told that “an arbitral award cannot be revisited even in the event that conclusive new evidence is offered.”
In the end, the IOC insisted that Chiles give back her bronze medal, which will now be given to Barbosu as she was declared the legitimate third-place winner.
Chiles thanked everyone in an official message on Thursday, amid her self-announced social media hiatus, for their love and support over the past several days. However, the 23-year-old criticised the IOC’s ruling at the same moment, calling it “unjust.”
Chiles wrote, “I am at a loss for words.” She went on, “This decision is unfair and comes as a big blow, not just to me but to everyone who has supported my path,” before pointing out the offensive messages that she had received as a result of the circumstance. “The unnecessary and deeply hurtful racial comments on social media only serve to deepen the heartache. I’ve given this sport my all, and I’m incredibly pleased to represent my nation and culture.”
One of Chiles’ closest friends and teammate with USA Gymnastics, Simone Biles, responded subtly to this devastating statement on Instagram.
Biles, who finished with a final score of 14.133 to win the silver medal in the same event, remained silent as well. She just used a black background and shared the statement on her own page.
Even though Biles didn’t include a commentary for her photo, it is clear that she is a strong fan of Chiles. It’s evident that despite this huge controversy, Simone and the rest of USA Gymnastics are firmly in support of Jordan.
In the end, Chiles might never be able to reclaim her bronze medal (USA Gymnastics is currently looking into all possible options to challenge the ruling), but she will always have her peers’ unwavering support.
Jordan Chiles claims she has been subjected to racially motivated harassment on social media and that the decision to take away her Olympic bronze medal has left her “heartbroken.”
After an appeal against the judges’ scoring of her routine was granted, the American gymnast went from fifth to third place in the floor exercise at the Olympics in Paris. The appeal was submitted, according to the Romanian Olympic Committee, four seconds past the one-minute mark. Then, the IOC commanded the American to return the gold when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) dismissed Chiles’s appeal. Ana Barbosu of Romania moved up to the third position, while Chiles fell back to fifth. The Romanians had requested bronze for both gymnasts.
After the ruling, Chiles removed herself from social media, but on Thursday, she came back to discuss how the experience had affected her.
“I’m at a loss for words. Chiles added, “This decision feels unfair and is a serious blow to everyone who has supported my path, not just to me. “The unprovoked, racist remarks on social media are immoral and incredibly upsetting, adding to the heartbreak.”
Evidence that USA Gymnastics presented purportedly demonstrated Chiles’s appeal had been filed on time. However, Cas denied the appeal, stating that “even when conclusive new evidence is given,” its verdict cannot be overturned.
Chiles declared that she would not give up on winning the bronze. Alongside her US teammates, she also took home the gold in the team event.
Chiles wrote, “I will take this challenge as I have others, and I will do everything in my power to see that justice is done.” “I think the individuals in charge will act morally at the end of this voyage.”
The Swiss Federal Tribunal may hear appeals against Cas rulings, albeit the tribunal hardly ever overturns such rulings. USA Gymnastics may bring the matter there. It has also come to light that Dr. Hamid G. Gharavi, the head of the Cas panel handling Chiles’s case, has worked as an attorney for the Romanian government. According to Cas, none of the parties in the Chiles hearing had objected after Gharavi revealed his employment with the Romanian government, as reported by the New York Times.
Nadia Comaneci, a former Olympic champion, claimed that the drama had affected each and every gymnast.
“It’s unbelievable that we handle players’ emotions and mental health in this way. Last week, Comaneci wrote on X, “Let’s defend them.”
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