U.S. Olympic officials have announced plans to appeal a court ruling that required gymnast Jordan Chiles to return the bronze medal she earned at the Paris Games. Let us explain why:
Why Does Jordan Chiles Have to Return Her Bronze Medal?
On August 11, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stated that, following a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision to reinstate Jordan’s original floor routine score, the bronze medal would be reallocated to Romania’s Ana Bărbosu.
The IOC said, “We are in touch with the NOC of Romania to discuss the reallocation ceremony and with USOPC regarding the return of the bronze medal.”
The controversy began when Jordan initially received a score of 13.666 for her floor routine. After Team USA filed an inquiry, the score was adjusted to 13.766, promoting Jordan to bronze and moving Ana and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea down in the rankings. The CAS later ruled that the inquiry should be voided because it was submitted past the one-minute deadline, restoring the original results.
How Did USA Gymnastics Respond?
USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee said in a joint statement that they were “devastated” by the ruling, arguing that the inquiry into Jordan’ score was “filed in good faith and … in accordance with FIG rules.”
The USOPC and USA Gymnastics also submitted new evidence to CAS, arguing that their inquiry was within the time limit and should be considered. They are calling for Jordan’ score to be reinstated.
“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 USOPC stated.
How Has Jordan Chiles and Team USA Reacted?
In the wake of the ruling, Jordan shared her frustration on Instagram and decided to take a break from social media for her mental health.
“I am taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health thank you,” she wrote in a message on her Instagram Story.
Following the ruling, members of the U.S. Olympic women’s gymnastics team shared their support for their teammate on social media.
Simone Biles shared a photo on her Instagram story hugging a crying Jordan, adding several heart emojis over the picture. She penned a touching message to her teammate on the post, writing in part, “sending you so much love Jordan.”
“keep your chin up olympic champ!” she added. “we love you!”
Sunisa Lee also shared her own message of support for Jordan on her Instagram story, resharing the statement from USA Gymnastics.
“all this talk about the athlete, what about the judges??” she wrote alongside the statement. “completely unacceptable. this is awful and i’m gutted for Jordan. i got your back forever Jo. u have all my flowers and you will ALWAYS be an olympic champion.”
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