As a seasoned movie buff who has watched countless underdog stories unfold on the silver screen, I can’t help but feel a profound sense of empathy for Jordan Chiles. Her journey to the Olympics and her subsequent bronze medal win were a testament to her resilience, hard work, and unwavering spirit.
Jordan Chiles expressed her response on social media after learning that her Olympic bronze medal from the women’s floor exercise competition has been rescinded. The U.S. athlete initially won this medal. However, the International Olympic Committee declared on August 11th that Chiles must return the medal, which would then be awarded to Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu instead.
“As I rejoiced over my Olympic victories, I received the crushing news that my bronze medal was taken from me. Despite this, I trusted the case presented by USA Gymnastics, which provided clear proof that my scoring adhered to all the rules. Unfortunately, this appeal did not succeed.”
“She also said, ‘I’m at a loss for words.’ This decision seems unfair and it’s a heavy blow, not just for me, but for everyone who has supported me throughout my journey. To make matters worse, I’ve been subjected to racially charged comments on social media without provocation. These remarks are unwarranted and deeply hurtful. I’ve invested so much of myself into this sport and I take great pride in representing my culture and my nation.”
In the women’s floor exercise final held on August 5th, Chile initially received a score of 13.666, placing her fifth behind Romania’s Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who both finished with scores of 13.700. Despite this, Barbosu was awarded the bronze due to a higher execution score in a tiebreaker. However, U.S. gymnastics coach Cecile Canqueteau-Landi contested the decision on the floor, arguing that Chile’s routine was undervalued due to its difficulty level. The judges reviewed the situation and increased Chile’s score by 0.1 points, resulting in her winning the bronze medal instead of Barbosu.
Due to some debate, the Romanian gymnastics team submitted an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), arguing that Team USA’s initial appeal exceeded the one-minute time limit to challenge the judges’ scores. CAS supported this argument, stating that Team USA’s appeal arrived 1 minute and 4 seconds after Chiles’ score was announced. In response to the court’s decision, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) reinstated the original scoring, thereby taking away the bronze medal from Chiles.
“Chiles expressed that she remains firm in her principles of fair competition, constant pursuit of quality, and respect for sportsmanship and the rules that ensure fair play. She takes pleasure in cheering for everyone, regardless of their team or nationality. Discovering joy once more has been a change in culture, and it’s heartening to see others adopt it. She feels that she has empowered everyone to be true to themselves.”
She mentioned that she’s currently facing one of the toughest professional moments in her career. She emphasized that she’s encountered numerous difficult situations before. She plans to tackle this challenge just as she has others, giving it her all to ensure fairness prevails. Ultimately, she trusts that those in charge will make the right decisions in the end.
Following Chiles being requested to return the medal, both USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee stated in a joint announcement that the initial petition to adjust Chiles’ floor exercise score was submitted in good faith and, as they understood, in line with FIG rules to maintain scoring accuracy.
“During the entire appeal phase, Jordan has faced persistent, completely unfounded, and deeply harmful online criticisms. No sportsperson should endure such conduct.” The statement continued, “We denounce these attacks and those who participate, encourage, or incite them. We praise Jordan for maintaining her integrity during competition and off the field, and we will always stand by and support her.”
Read Chiles’ full message on the matter in the Instagram post below.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Jordan Chiles (@jordanchiles)
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2024-08-15 22:17