Jordan Chiles Breaks Silence Regarding Bronze Medal Drama

On August 5, 23-year-old Jordan Chiles won the bronze medal in the floor exercise final at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but not without a little help from her coach’s quick thinking.

USA Gymnastics' Cecile Landi raised eyebrows by challenging the judges on Jordan's original score, which had her in fifth place. The judges recalculated, bumping Jordan's score from 13.666 to 13.766, which snatched the bronze right out of Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu's hands. Barbosu, who initially had the bronze with a score of 13.700, was left in tears.

Controversy and backlash surfaced on social media, leading a judge from the Court of Arbitration for Sport to rule that Jordan Chiles must forfeit her bronze medal.

Jordan broke her silence days after the news broke, returning to social media and sharing a statement on her Instagram page. "I am overwhelmed by the love I have received over the past few days," she began. "I am also incredibly grateful to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, USAG, and the USOPC for their unwavering support during this difficult time."

"While celebrating my Olympic accomplishments, I heard the devastating news that my bronze medal had been stripped away. I had confidence in the appeal brought by USAG, who gave conclusive evidence that my score followed all the rules. The appeal was unsuccessful."

"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. To add to the heartbreak, the unprompted racially driven attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful," she added. "I've poured my heart and soul into this sport and I am so proud to represent my culture and my country."

Her statement continued: "I will never waiver from my values of competing with integrity, striving for excellence, upholding the values of sportsmanship and the rules that dictate fairness. I have taken pride in cheering on everyone regardless of team or country."

While on the podium, as the medals were being awarded, Jordan and Simone Biles bowed down to gold medal winner Rebeca Andrade of Brazil, embracing her and her talent.

"Finding joy again has been a culture shift, and I love seeing others embrace it," she continued. "I feel like I have given everyone permission to be authentic to who they are."

The Olympian concluded, "I am now confronted with one of the most challenging moments of my career. Believe me when I say I have had many. I will approach this challenge as I have others and will make every effort to ensure that justice is done. I believe that at the end of this journey, the people in control will do the right thing."

As The Blast reported, days after awarding Jordan with the bronze, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that Team USA’s appeal was filed four seconds past the one-minute deadline.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed the next day that Jordan’s medal would be stripped and awarded to Ana Barbosu, the 18-year-old who originally placed third and was later bumped following the inquiry.

After the International Olympic Committee announced that Jordan's medal would be stripped and given to Ana Barbosu, USA Gymnastics pushed back, insisting their appeal was on time and even presenting video evidence.

However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has stuck to its decision, keeping Jordan’s medal status uncertain and continuing the drama.

“USA Gymnastics was notified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday that their rules do not allow for an arbitral award to be reconsidered even when conclusive new evidence is presented,” USA Gymnastics said in a statement. “We are deeply disappointed by the notification and will continue to pursue every possible avenue and appeal process, including the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to ensure that just scoring, placement, and medal award for Jordan."

On Sunday, August 11, right as the 2024 Paris Olympics were ramping up for the big closing ceremony, 18-year-old Ana Barbosu hit up Instagram Stories to weigh in on the ongoing Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling.

“Sabrina [Maneca-Voinea], Jordan, my thoughts are with you. I know what you are feeling because I've been through the same. But I know you'll come back stronger,” she wrote on Instagram at the time. "I hope from deep of my heart that at the next Olympics, all three of us will share [the] same podium. This is my true dream!"

"This situation would not have existed if the persons in charge had respected the regulation," she continued. "We, athletes are not to be blamed, and the hate directed to us is painful. I wanted to end this edition of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in the spirit of Olympism, the true value of the world."