One of the big controversies of the 2024 Paris Olympics centers around Jordan Chiles’ bronze medal in gymnastics. First, judges ruled she didn’t get a medal, then when the Americans appealed because her score was allegedly not tallied properly, she was awarded third. However, that decision was appealed by the Romanian Team, which led to her medal being taken. Now, the Americans are stating that Chiles deserves the medal and that the judges are in error and claim to have video evidence to prove it.
We’ll unravel the confusing situation behind Chiles medal and whether or not she deserves it below.
Why did Jordan Chiles lose her medal?
During the floor exercise final on August 5 in the 2024 Paris Olympics gymnasyics comepetition Chiles initial score had her finishing in fifth place. However, her coaches on Team USA appealed the decision because her difficulty score had not been correctly entered. Once this change was considered, Chiles’ revised score put her in third place, and she earned the bronze medal.
However, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation appealed the judge’s decision, stating that the Americans were four seconds late in filing their appeal. The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in the Romanian’s favor, and Chiles’s original score was reinstated. As a result, Romanian gymnasts Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Voinea moved up to third and fourth place, respectively, and Chiles went back down to fifth.
On August 11, the International Olympic Committee officially withdrew the bronze medal from Chiles and gave it to Barbosu. However, according to Sports Illustrated, USA Gymnastics appealed the ruling that day and stated it had video evidence that Chile’s coach appealed her score within the one-minute deadline and that accusations that they were four seconds late were false.
Unfortunately, according to the AP, the Court of Arbitration for Sport reponded that its rules doesn’t allow for an arbitral award to be reconsidered even when new evidence is presented. In response USA Gymnastics will be appealing the decision through any avenue possible, including through the Swiss Federal Tribunal or European Court of Human Rights if necessary.
