Source: Xinhua News Agency / Getty / Jordan Chiles
US gymnast Jordan Chiles is now taking a break from social media after learning she must return her bronze medal in the floor exercise the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ruled on Sunday after it upheld findings that her coach’s appeal shouldn’t have been allowed.
The 23-year-old Vancouver, Washington native took home the bronze medal after initially finishing fifth in the competition on Monday in Paris, but wound up in third and taking home the bronze medal after US coach Cecile Landi successfully lobbied that the judges did not correctly include Chiles’ difficulty score.
The officials agreed and adjusted Chiles’ score by 0.1 points to 13.766, allowing her to leapfrog two Romanian athletes, which sparked outrage from the Romanian delegation.
Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu was BIG MAD, threatening to refuse to attend the closing ceremony in protest.
In a stunning decision, the IOC said it would abide by the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s ruling, claiming that Landi’s protest was made 64 seconds late. The deadline to post a complaint is a minute.
Following the ruling, Romanian Ana Bărbosu, 18, is now the bronze medal winner in the floor exercise.
In a statement on Sunday, the IOC said, “Following the CAS decision with regard to the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Floor Exercise Final and the amendment of the ranking by the International Gymnastics Federation, the IOC will reallocate the bronze medal to Ana Bărbosu (Romania). 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 US Olympic & Paralympic Committee Pushes Back
Following the IOC’s statement, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee came to Chiles’ defense, adding that it would file an appeal.
“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,” it said in a statement.
“Given these circumstances, we are committed to pursuing an appeal to help Jordan Chiles receive the recognition she deserves,” the US committee said. “We remain dedicated to supporting her as an Olympic champion and will continue to work diligently to resolve this matter swiftly and fairly.”
USA Gymnastics said in a statement on Saturday night, “We are devastated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling regarding women’s floor exercise,” USA Gymnastics said in a statement Saturday night. “The inquiry into the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles’ floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believed, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring.
Social Media Rallies Behind Chiles
As expected, the IOC’s ruling is not sitting well with folks in the US, and everyone is rallying behind Chiles.
“The judges should be penalized, not Jordan Chiles. She did nothing wrong. I am livid about this entire situation,” one user wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Another post read, “They can’t stand to see Black women win. Jordan Chiles, you will forever be our champion.”
They can’t stand to see Black women win. Jordan Chiles, you will forever be our champion.
pic.twitter.com/GQfcHIjAdm
— Girls United (@EssenceGU) August 11, 2024
Chiles has not said much following the ruling, but she did post four broken-heart emojis on her Instagram on Saturday before announcing she was taking a break from social media.
“I am taking the time and removing myself from social media for my mental health thank you,” she wrote.
Her decision comes after the US Gymnastics said Chiles was the “subject to consistent, utterly baseless and extremely hurtful attacks on social media.”
“No athlete should be subject to such treatment,” they said. “We condemn the attacks and those who engage, support or instigate them. We commend Jordan for conducting herself with integrity both on and off the competition floor, and we continue to stand by and support her.”
Now, we will wait to see what happens after the US Olympic Committee’s appeal; you can see more reactions in the gallery below.
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