In a powerful show of solidarity, rap superstar Megan Thee Stallion has openly expressed her unwavering support for U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles following the recent controversy surrounding her bronze medal at the Olympics.
Megan posted on her Instagram story, sharing a photo of Chiles alongside an emoji crossing her fingers and a heart emoji. The post underscores Megan's continuous support and positivity towards the athlete in her gymnastics journey. Megan has been a strong supporter of Chiles. The rap superstar sent flowers to Chiles when she secured her spot on the U.S. Olympics team for Paris.
Jordan Chiles, known for her dynamic performances, executed an electrifying floor routine set to a medley of singer Beyoncé’s hits, which captivated both judges and fans alike. Initially securing a fifth-place finish with a score of 13.666, Chiles faced an unexpected turn of events when USA Gymnastics Coach Cecile Landi successfully filed an inquiry to review her score.
This inquiry proved to be pivotal as it led to a revision, bumping her score up by a crucial tenth of a point to 13.766, which ultimately clinched her the bronze medal. The podium moment was historic, featuring Chiles alongside Team USA’s iconic Simone Biles and Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, marking a significant milestone in Olympic history as all three positions were held by Black women, a powerful representation in the sport.
However, despite this extraordinary achievement, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation challenged the decision, arguing that the inquiry had been filed four seconds past the deadline. In a surprising turn of events on Saturday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in favor of Romania, resulting in the stripping of Chiles' medal. Following this ruling, USA Gymnastics submitted an appeal, which was subsequently denied, leading to the reinstatement of Chiles' original score.
“The Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique shall determine the ranking of the Final of the women’s Floor exercise and assign the medal(s) in accordance with the above decision,” the Court of Arbitration for Sport said in a statement.
In a joint statement, USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee expressed their devastation over the ruling, emphasizing the unwarranted backlash that Chiles faced online from critics and detractors.
“We are devastated,” USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee said in a joint statement following the ruling. “The inquiry in the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles’ floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believed, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring.”
The emotional toll of this situation was evident, as Chiles shared her feelings through social media, posting broken heart emojis to her Instagram story and announcing a temporary break from online platforms to focus on her mental health and well-being.
USA Gymnastics submitted a letter and supporting evidence to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to appeal the ruling. In a statement, the team revealed that they provided timestamped video footage showing that USA Gymnastics Coach Landi made her inquiry just 47 seconds after the score was posted, followed by a second statement 55 seconds later.
The team noted that they did not have access to this footage prior to the tribunal's decision and later highlighted “critical errors” in the initial scoring and the CAS appeals process that needed to be resolved.
Despite their efforts, the appeal was rejected on Monday evening. Although the appeal was denied, USA Gymnastics vows to continue its appeals process.
“USA Gymnastics was notified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday that their rules do not allow for an arbitral award to be reconsidered even when conclusive new evidence is presented,” the organization said in a statement Monday evening, adding it would continue to pursue the case.
“We are deeply disappointed by the notification and will continue to pursue every possible avenue and appeal process, including to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to ensure the just scoring, placement, and medal award for Jordan.”
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