OLYMPIC GAMES | GYMNASTICS
Jordan Chiles’ devastating reaction to losing gymnastics bronze medal in 2024 Olympics
The IOC have confirmed that Team USA’s Chiles will have to return her medal, which will go to Romania’s Ana Barbosu.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has ordered Team USA gymnast Jordan Chiles to return the bronze medal she won in the women’s artistic gymnastics floor exercise competition at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Why has Chiles been stripped of her gymnastics bronze medal?
Initially, the 23-year-old finished behind gold medalist Rebeca Andrade of Brazil, teammate Simone Biles, who claimed silver, and Barbosu. That trio scored 14.166, 14.133 and 13.700, with Chiles originally being awarded 13.666.
In gymnastics, however, competitors and their coaches have the opportunity to submit an inquiry if they feel they have been hard done by, although they must do so within one minute of their original score being awarded.
Chiles was bumped up to the bronze medal position following her inquiry but, upon a subsequent appeal from Barbosu and her team to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), it was found Team USA’s inquiry, although successful, had been filed after the deadline.
“The initial score of 13.666 given to Ms Jordan Chiles in the final of the women’s floor exercise shall be reinstated,” said CAS. On Saturday, the International Olympic Committee announced it would be reallocating the bronze medal to Barbosu, an 18-year-old taking part in her first Games.
In a joint statement U.S. Gymnastics and the U.S Olympic and Paralympic Committee said they were devastated by the decision and revealed Chiles had received online abuse during her appeal.
Chiles’ heartbreaking social media posts
As a result of that, and seemingly having been informed of the IOC’s decision before it was made public, Chiles took to social medial to express her devastation.
In two separate Instagram stories, the Oregon native first posted four broken heart emojis, followed by “I am taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health thank you”.
Chiles was part of the United States team that won gold in the women’s artistic team all-around in Paris and was a silver medalist in the same event in Tokyo. The floor exercise bronze would have been her first individual Olympic medal.