Jordan Chiles Reflects On Painful Olympic Medal Controversy One Year Later

Jordan Chiles is looking back on the rollercoaster year that followed her controversial medal loss at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 24-year-old gymnast made headlines last summer when she was awarded the bronze medal in the women’s floor exercise final, only to have it stripped away weeks later. The International Olympic Committee announced she must return the medal after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that her coach’s inquiry, which boosted her score from fifth to third, was invalid.

Romania’s Ana Barbosu was elevated to the podium in Jordan Chiles' place.

Though Chiles also took home gold with Team USA in Paris, the individual floor bronze was a career milestone she was forced to surrender.

In September 2024, she filed a formal appeal to the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland in hopes of overturning the ruling, but the medal reallocation went forward, leaving her Olympic journey clouded by heartbreak. “This appeal is about much more than the bronze medal,” the firm said at the time. “Chiles is pursuing her case to encourage the entire Olympic community to take steps to ensure that future Olympians do not face a similar ordeal.”

Now, one year later, Chiles took to Instagram to share an emotional reflection on how the experience shaped her.

“A year ago today I walked off the floor in Paris with a bronze medal, and lessons I’ll carry with me for life,” she wrote. “The hardest moments really do teach you the most. This year had its highs, but the lows hit different.”

Chiles went on to acknowledge the pain of losing her medal but also the strength she found in the aftermath.

“Every setback and every disappointment made me dig deeper and showed me what I’m truly made of. It also showed me who’s really in my corner,” she continued. “Even when something’s taken from you, your truth and your worth is… Untouchable.”

She thanked the fans, friends, and family who stood by her through the storm. “To everyone who held me down this past year, who sent prayers, messages, and love when I needed it most, you reminded me I’m never on this journey alone. I love y’all for real. You kept me standing when I didn’t even know how to take the next step.”

Chiles ended her post with a powerful declaration that she refuses to let the controversy define her. “Still here. Still fighting. Still that girl.”

One month before Chiles' legal team filed the appeal, on August 16, 2024, Ana Barbosu was formally awarded the reallocated bronze medal during a ceremony in her home country of Romania. While it marked a career highlight for the young gymnast, Barbosu admitted the moment was complicated.

“I can’t help but think about Sabrina and Jordan right now,” she told reporters after receiving the prize. “It’s a difficult situation for us, with so many uncertainties and overwhelming emotions. I hope everyone understands that we have not done anything wrong at the Olympics.”

Earlier this year, Jordan Chiles revealed just how devastating the fallout from the Paris Olympics had been on her mental health.

In an interview with ESPN surrounding the release of her debut memoir, "I’m That Girl: Living the Power of My Dreams," the 24-year-old gymnast admitted she was left paralyzed by the ordeal.

“It’s still a struggle to talk about it,” Chiles confessed. “Six months ago, I was not able to move.”

She explained that in the months after the medal was stripped, she sank into a dark place that left her unable to function. “I was stuck in my bed. I was mentally gone, mentally not okay,” she said, reflecting on how hard it was to process the disappointment.

Despite the heartbreak of Paris, Chiles hasn’t ruled out another Olympic run, but she’s keeping her options open.

Speaking to E! News at the TIME Women of the Year Gala on February 25, she addressed whether fans might see her tumbling onto the mats in Los Angeles for the 2028 Games.

“It’s not a no and it’s not a yes,” Chiles said. “I think my biggest thing is just taking it year by year, month by month, and then we’re gonna see.”