While the 2024 Paris Olympics concluded a long time ago, controversy continues to surround the sporting event. One of the many questionable choices made at the recent Olympics included the rescission of Jordan Chiles‘ bronze medal. The US athlete recently opened up about losing her medal and reflected on its consequences on her morale. But, why was Jordan Chiles stripped of her bronze medal at the latest edition of the Olympics?
Here are all the available details regarding the controversy surrounding the 23-year-old gymnast.
Why did Jordan Chiles lose her 2024 Paris Olympics bronze medal?
Chiles, who secured third place at the floor exercise event at the Paris Olympics, was forced to relinquish her medal due to a seemingly illegal appeal.
The artistic gymnast originally finished in fifth place at the event, which led her to file an appeal over how her routine was scored. Jordan Chiles’ plea was accepted, which ultimately fetched her a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics. However, a separate query was then raised by the Romanian Olympic Committee, which claimed that the athlete had submitted her appeal four seconds after the expiration of the designated one-minute limit. As such, The Court of Arbitration for Sport decided to declare her plea null and void. The young sportswoman was then forced to return her medal, with Romania’s Ana Barbosu taking her place on the podium.
In her recent appearance at the Forbes Power Women’s Summit, Jordan Chiles shared her feelings over losing her medal at the Olympics.
“The biggest thing that was taken from me was, it was the recognition of who I was. Not just my sport, but the person I am,” she said. (via The Guardian)
The up-and-coming gymnast also reflected on how the controversy was deeply connected to racism.
“It’s not about the medal, it’s about my skin color”, Chiles stated. “It’s about the fact there were things that have led up to this position of being an athlete. And I felt like everything has been stripped. I felt like when I was back in 2018 where I did lose the love of the sport, I lost it again,” she added.
A piece of evidence was eventually submitted by USA Gymnastics that reportedly proved the legality of Chiles’ appeal. Nevertheless, the plea was turned down, with The Court of Arbitration for Sport standing firm with their decision.
