The 2024 Paris Olympics are over, but the drama’s just beginning. Just a few weeks ago, U.S. Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles took home the bronze medal for the women’s individual floor event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Now, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is ordering that Chiles return the award, due to a 4-second technicality.
The Original Scores
At the women’s individual floor event, Jordan originally placed 5th. She ended her routine with a score of 13.666, just behind Romania’s Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea.
But when Team USA’s coach appealed to the judges to have an element restored to Chiles’ routine, the score had to be reconsidered. The appeal was approved, and Chiles was bumped up to 3rd place.
Why Was Chiles Ordered to Return Her Medal?
Here is where things get complicated. The International Gymnastics Federation’s guidelines require coaches to make any scoring appeals within one minute of the score being posted.
The Romanian Gymnastics Federation asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to review the score, claiming that Chile’s appeal came 4 seconds after the deadline. Essentially, they’re saying that Jordan’s appeal – and her score – are invalid.
Scored Reconsidered
At the hearing, CAS agreed with the Romanian Olympic Committee, pushing Chiles back to 5th place.
Scores were reverted to their original standing and now the IOC is demanding that Jordan return her medal and give it to Romania’s Ana Barbosu.
Unfair Hearings and Missing Emails
USA Gymnastics (USAG) and the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee are fighting tooth and nail to allow Jordan to keep her medal. They’ve spoken out about the Center of Arbitration for Sport’s lack of transparency surrounding their decision.
USA Gymnastics has said that they “did not become aware of the case until August 9 — three days after it was filed, two days past the deadline to submit objections related to the panelists, and less than 24 hours before the hearing. This was due to CAS sending case filings to incorrect email addresses.”
Chiles Speaks Out
Chiles took to Instagram to express her disappointment; “I have no words. This decision feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey.”
Calling this “the most challenging moment of [her] career”, Chiles thanked her supporters for standing by her during this difficult time.
The Court Of Public Opinion
The misplaced medal drama has sparked outrage on social media, with many users expressing their frustration and disappointment. Many are criticizing the IOC. Others have stooped to launching racist attacks against Jordan.
The attacks have forced the gymnast to take a step back from social media, posting on her Instagram stories: “I am taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health thank you.”
Reactions from the Gymnastics Community
The gymnastics community has shown strong support for Chiles, with many athletes and fans expressing their outrage over the decision.
Fellow gymnast Sunisa Lee criticized the judges and defended Chiles, emphasizing the unfairness of penalizing an athlete for a minor procedural error. “Completely unacceptable,” she wrote on Instagram. “This is awful and I’m gutted for Jordan.”
It Didn’t Have to Come to This
The Romanian Gymnastics Federation filed a unique appeal – split the medal in a three-way tie between Jordan Chiles, Ana Barbosu, and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea. They also stated that Maneca-Voinea was unjustly given a penalty.
Though this proposal could’ve been a beautiful display of sportsmanship, the Center of Arbitration for Sport swiftly denied their request.
New Evidence Unearthed
But the story is not quite over yet. USA Gymnastics submitted video evidence to show that its inquiry into changing Chiles’ score was made within the 1-minute deadline.
They also said that CAS refused to hear the new evidence and will not reconsider their decision. In response, USA Gymnastics promised to take legal action. They are now filing a case with the Swiss Federal Tribunal, Switzerland’s highest court.
Is This Normal?
Olympic medal reallocation isn’t unheard of; it’s commonly done with athletes who are found to have been doping.
In fact, a special ceremony was held this year for 10 Olympians who competed in Sydney 2000, Beijing 2008, and London 2012 to receive reallocated medals. Nearly all of them had originally lost to athletes who had been found guilty of doping.
Olympic-Sized Controversies
This is far from the only controversy that has shrouded the 2024 Paris Olympics. Before the Olympics even began, concerns about e. coli for the athletes swimming in the Seine set the internet on fire.
Then Algerian boxer Imane Khelif was the center of a cyberbullying campaign, with baseless attacks over her gender. She has since filed a criminal complaint against those who spread these lies, specifically naming Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling in the suit.
