OLYMPIC GAMES

Jordan Chiles breaks silence on being stripped of Olympic bronze medal. Here’s what she said

Following what was a taxing week, the American has now opened up about being stripped of her first-ever Olympic medal and what has followed since.

GABRIEL BOUYSAFP

Though USA Gymnastics vehemently appealed against the decision, there was in the end, nothing to be done and so, the International Olympic Committee’s decision to strip Chiles of the bronze medal she won in the women’s gymnastics floor final at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and award it to Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu stands.

Jordan Chiles speaks on IOC decision

The last time we heard Jordan Chiles was in the immediate aftermath of the IOC’s decision to take her medal away and give it to someone else as mentioned above. At that time, Chiles explained that she would be taking a break from social media, an understandable decision given the intensity and magnitude of chatter that we find on various platforms today. That said, Chiles broke her silence on Thursday by posting about the situation.

“While celebrating my Olympic accomplishments, I heard the devastating news that my bronze medal had been stripped away,” Chiles wrote. “I had confidence in the appeal brought by USAG, who gave conclusive evidence that my score followed all the rules. This appeal was unsuccessful. I have no words. This decision feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey. To add to the heartbreak, the unprompted racially driven attacks on social media are 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.”

Now, regarding how we came to this point, you may recall that this all began when the Romanian Federation of Gymnastics filed a protest with the International Gymnastics Federation and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding an appeal by Chiles’s coach Cecile Landi. Do recall, that just after Chiles’ score for her floor routine was announced, Landi raised an inquiry with the judges, expressing that Chiles’ difficulty score was insufficient. The challenge was accepted and so Chiles’ score was increased from 13.666 to 13.766 which pushed her from fifth to third, above two Romanian gymnasts. So, with that as context, we know what came next. An arbitral panel ruled that Landi’s appeal came four seconds after the one-minute period that is permitted for appeals. Next, came Sunday’s move by USA Gymnastics when it released video evidence, showing Landi submitting the challenge 47 seconds after the score was posted, but as we know the appeal was still denied.

“I am now confronted with one of the most challenging moments of my career,” Chiles said. “Believe me when I say I have had many. I will approach this challenge as I have others - and will make every effort to ensure that justice is done. I believe that at the end of this journey, the people in control will do the right thing.” Regarding the present, there has been no further word from the IOC nor any indication that a new decision could be made. Nonetheless, Chiles can take comfort in the monumental amount of support that has been thrown behind her. From Flavor Flav’s custom-made bronze clock necklace to the countless messages on social media, it’s clear that she has won the hearts of many, and if nothing else, she did win a gold medal as part of Team USA’s victory in the all-around team final.

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