USA Gymnastics Appeals Stripping of Jordan Chiles' Bronze Medal, Presents New Evidence

The bronze medal that American gymnast Jordan Chiles won in the floor exercise at the Olympics in Paris has been shockingly transferred to Romanian gymnast Ana Bărbosu. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that the U.S. team’s challenge against Chiles’ first score was submitted one minute after the deadline, which is the basis for this decision.

But USA Gymnastics isn’t going to give up the medal easily. The group made the announcement on Sunday that they had filed an appeal against the ruling and sent fresh video evidence to CAS. They argue that this video “convincingly verifies” that Cecile Landi, their coach, sent in the question inside the allotted minute. The organization went on to say that because they did not have access to this material until after the CAS verdict, they were unable to provide it earlier.

Chiles’ initial score of 13.666 has already been reinstated by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), moving Bărbosu’s score of 13.700 up to third place. The IOC verified that Chiles will forfeit her bronze medal as a result of the ranking change; Bărbosu will now receive the medal.

USOPC Promises to Protect Chiles

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has made it clear that it will file an appeal against the ruling. “We firmly believe that Jordan deserves the bronze medal, and there are significant errors in both the initial FIG scoring and the CAS appeal process that need to be addressed,” the United States Olympic Committee stated.

They contend that the FIG committed the first scoring error and that the USOPC committed the second error—that of not providing enough time or notice to effectively contest the decision—during the CAS appeal.

To make sure Chiles gets the credit they think she deserves, the USOPC is dedicated to pursuing the appeal. They have promised to stick by her side and put up a lot of effort to find a swift and equitable solution.

An Exciting Finale for the Competition

Drama abounds as the Monday floor workout battle comes to a finish. Bărbosu thought she had won the bronze medal with a score of 13.700 right after the competition. Chiles’s original score was 13.666, but after her coaches successfully contested the difficulty level, she was able to gain 0.1 points, putting her in third place.

As a consequence, there was a historic moment when Simone Biles and Chiles shared the podium and became the first all-Black Olympic gymnastics team. Their combined salute to gold medallist Rebeca Andrade turned into one of the Games’ most recognizable pictures. But this accomplishment is now clouded by the CAS verdict.

Chiles’ Reaction

Chiles posted a message declaring her withdrawal from social media for her mental health along with four broken heart emojis on her Instagram story after the CAS judgment.

The gymnastics community is waiting for the ultimate decision while the appeals process progresses. Not only will the result decide the fate of a bronze medal, but it will also impact score challenges and appeals in Olympic gymnastics going forward.