Jordan Chiles Breaks Silence Regarding Controversy Over Olympics Bronze Medal

Controversy swirled around Jordan Chiles after she clinched the bronze medal in the final Women's Gymnastics event on Monday, August 5—but she didn't take home the medal until after an inquiry was submitted.

Initially, Chiles had finished fifth in the floor exercise final. However, after Team USA submitted an inquiry regarding the scoring of one of her skills—a tour jeté full—the judges reviewed the performance.

The inquiry was approved, resulting in Jordan Chiles being brought up to third place. Simone Biles earned the silver medal, while Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade took home the gold.

With the results of the inquiry, Jordan Chiles took over Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu's place on the podium.

“There were so many emotions going through my body in that moment,” Jordan explained on the August 8 episode of the "TODAY" show, per E! News. “There was a lot of things happening to me not being on the podium to me being on the podium. I think the biggest thing is just always understanding not to doubt yourself, and just let everything ride out how it’s supposed to be.”

While watching a playback of her and Biles' reactions to learning about her bronze win, Chiles didn’t hesitate to express her admiration for her strong bonds with Simone and her coach Cecile Landi.

“Everybody was crying and those were true emotions,” the Olympian added. “It’s all about the support system. Simone is like a big sister to me and Cecile is like another mom. Simone has done so much for me and in that moment, I realized that.”

Cecile Landi addressed the claims that she and her fellow coaches cheated as a way to secure Chiles’ bronze medal in the floor exercise final.

“I shouldn’t have to explain but I will ONCE,” she began in an Instagram comment directed towards social media trolls. “Jordan’s highest possible SV on floor is a 5.9. At quals and team finals she received a 5.8 and we didn’t question it because we saw that not all elements were completed.”

“During floor finals, we thought [it] was better and being placed 5th with nothing to lose, I sent the inquiry so I wouldn’t regret not asking,” she continued. “I didn’t think it would be accepted and at my surprise it was.”

A few years ago, Jordan Chiles almost quit gymnastics because she "didn't think the sport wanted [her] anymore," and that's when Simone Biles came in.

“I guess this sport is coming to an end for me because things just aren’t working out for me at all whatsoever,” Chiles recalled, per The New York Times. “I just wanted to finish high school and go off to college. But then I had a talk with Simone.”

By the end of 2018, Biles suggested that Chiles consider moving to Texas to train at her gym, World Champions Centre, under the guidance of coaches Cecile and Laurent Landi.

Chiles accepted and the two became close friends.

Under Biles’ mentorship, Jordan Chiles formed a bond with her, which soon became a sisterhood. With Biles' guidance and support, Chiles made a remarkable return to the top of the sport.

The Landis were renowned for their rigorous training methods, but they also emphasized the importance of maintaining a balanced life to cope with the sport's pressures. Biles was clear with Chiles: if she was going to relocate to Texas and join World Champions Centre, it had to be a genuine desire, not just a sense of obligation.

When she arrived at Biles’s gym in Spring, Texas, she took a moment to breathe and tried to stay open-minded, because, for the first time in a long time, she faced the challenge of not being the standout gymnast and wondered if she could place her trust in the other elite athletes and the coaches--but the Landis took charge of helping her get settled.

“We always knew she was super talented, but I remember seeing her at Classic and being shocked at how good she looked,” Cecile Landi told the outlet of Chiles. “Laurent and I were like, ‘Wait, hold on, wow, this is just the beginning.’”

Jordan Chiles noted that the Landis are particularly attentive, genuinely listening to their gymnasts and taking their opinions seriously without reprimanding them for speaking out.

“I discovered that gymnastics doesn’t always have to be about strictness and being so hard on yourself and having so much doubt,” Chiles said. “I actually realized this when I saw Simone compete. She looks like she’s having fun out there, laughing and giggling, and doesn’t look stressed or tired. I was like, ‘You know, I’m going to try that one of these days and see how it turns out.’”

The two competed side-by-side in the 2024 Paris Olympics, with Simone Biles bringing home four medals and Jordan Chiles clinching two.