The International Olympic Committee confirmed a controversial ruling on Sunday that will require American gymnast Jordan Chiles to return the bronze medal she won in the Paris Olympics floor exercise event. The decision, upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), sparked widespread debate and an impending appeal from U.S. Olympic officials.
The ruling stems from an on-floor appeal Monday by Chiles’ coach, Cecile Landi, during the competition. The appeal, which successfully increased Chiles’ score and elevated her to third place, was later deemed invalid by CAS due to being filed four seconds past the one-minute time limit. As a result, the CAS ordered that the initial finishing order be restored, with Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu reclaiming the bronze medal. The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the IOC have both stated that they will honor the CAS decision and are working with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to facilitate the return of Chiles’ medal.
In response, the USOPC announced on Sunday that it plans to appeal the ruling, citing critical errors in both the initial scoring by FIG and the CAS appeal process. The USOPC argued that Chiles rightfully earned the bronze medal and that the appeal process was flawed, depriving them of adequate time to challenge the decision effectively. The organization is exploring potential appeals through Switzerland’s highest court or the European Court of Human Rights.
“We firmly believe that Jordan rightfully earned the bronze medal, and there were critical errors in both the initial scoring by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the subsequent CAS appeal process that need to be addressed,” the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee said in a statement, via the Associated Press.
USA Gymnastics, teammates offer support for Jordan Chiles
The decision has had a significant emotional impact on all the athletes involved. Chiles expressed heartbreak over the ruling and announced a temporary break from social media to protect her mental health. Romanian gymnastics legend Nadia Comaneci voiced concerns over the mental health of Barbosu, who had to endure the emotional rollercoaster of being awarded, then stripped, and then re-awarded the bronze medal.
Barbosu, for her part, expressed that her issue was not with Chiles but with the judging process. She emphasized the need for fairness and clarity in judging, stating that athletes deserve to be rewarded based on their performance, not caught up in administrative errors.
“I only want for everybody to be fair. We don’t want to start picking on other athletes of any nationality,” Barbosu told reporters. “We as athletes don’t deserve something like that. We only want to perform as best as we can and to be rewarded based on our performance. The problems lie with the judges, with their calculations and decisions.”
The situation has also drawn support from Chiles’ teammates, including Simone Biles and Suni Lee, who publicly defended Chiles and criticized the judging process. USA Gymnastics expressed its devastation over the ruling, reiterating that the inquiry into Chiles’ routine was filed in good faith and in accordance with FIG rules.
“The inquiry into 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,” USA Gymnastics wrote.
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