Was Simone Biles Robbed of Another Golden Medal in Paris Alongside Jordan Chiles’ Heartbreak?

Simone Biles has long been recognized as one of the greatest gymnasts in history. However, on the night of August 5th at the Bercy Arena in Paris, she was defeated by Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade in the women’s individual floor exercise. Now, new details are emerging that suggest Biles may have been denied a fair chance at gold.

 

Recently, there has been a focus on Jordan Chiles’ struggles in Paris, but new evidence indicates that Biles might have also been wronged by the officials at the 33rd Olympic Games. A post on the official Gymnastics Now X account on September 16th highlighted how Cecile Landi and Laurent Landi raised an inquiry for Chiles within the allowed one-minute timeframe. However, another surprising detail is creating a stir.

 

After the final scores for the women’s floor exercise were revealed, Laurent Landi’s voice can be heard in a video clip. Speaking in French, he mentions “Simone” and “inquiry” amidst the noise. Although Biles ultimately took home silver, the Team USA coaches were of the opinion that her scores did not accurately reflect her performance.

 

Cecile Landi informed Biles that her husband had submitted an inquiry on her behalf. However, things did not go as planned, leading to a heated discussion in French between Cecile and Laurent. Eventually, Cecile asked if they should raise an inquiry for Chiles instead. Despite their unsuccessful attempt to address Simone’s situation, the seven-time Olympic gold medalist seemed largely unbothered by the outcome.

 

In a later post on X, Biles expressed that she had made peace with the results from the 33rd Olympics, though she acknowledged feeling some sadness. “Upsetting how it wasn’t processed, but I’m not mad at the results,” she wrote on September 17th, while also praising Andrade for her outstanding performance in the final.

 

Meanwhile, Chiles faced a more troubling situation. “JUSTICE FOR JORDAN… ya hear me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Biles exclaimed, reflecting her frustration over her friend’s ordeal. Five days after Chiles’ score was adjusted and she was awarded a bronze medal in Paris, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ordered her to return the medal to Romania’s Ana Barbosu. Chiles’ camp did not take this decision lightly, and many individuals and organizations voiced their support for her. The gymnast, at the center of the drama, withdrew from social media to safeguard her mental health, as questions arose regarding the handling of the inquiry by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

In one of the most striking revelations, it was pointed out that the FIG was unable to identify the person who recorded the timing information for the inquiry. This discrepancy, along with the lack of a clear mechanism to address such an important matter, caused concern during the hearings. Even U.S. politicians stepped in to highlight how Chiles was unfairly scored. Representative Stephen Cohen noted, “Two issues at conflict here: the judges’ failure to score correctly and an alleged four-second delay on appealing the score.”

 

Whether Biles’ support will help bring good news for Chiles remains uncertain, and only time will tell how this situation will unfold.