USA gymnast Jordan Chiles could potentially lose her bronze medal in the gymnastics floor exercise due to a recent ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). This decision has opened the door for Romania’s Ana Barbosu to claim the podium spot instead.
On Saturday, CAS determined that the appeal made by Chiles’ coach, Cecile Landi, to add 0.1 to Chiles’ score was submitted too late, exceeding the one-minute time limit set by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).
The ruling reinstated the original results, placing Barbosu in third, her teammate Sabrina Maneca-Voinea in fourth, and Chiles in fifth. CAS has instructed the FIG to finalize the rankings based on this decision, leaving the awarding of medals, behind gold medalist Rebeca Andrade from Brazil and silver medalist Simone Biles from the U.S., to their discretion.
The Romanian Olympic Committee has proposed that three bronze medals be awarded due to the circumstances surrounding the event.
In her Instagram story on Saturday, Chiles expressed her heartbreak over the situation, stating she would be stepping away from social media to focus on her mental health.
During the floor final, both Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea ended with identical scores of 13.700. Barbosu believed she had secured the bronze through a tiebreaker based on a higher execution score and celebrated with a Romanian flag.
Chiles, who was the last to compete, initially scored 13.666, placing her fifth, just behind Maneca-Voinea. Following the awards ceremony, Landi sought a review of Chiles’ score, reasoning that there was little to lose.
The judges accepted the appeal, allowing Chiles to leapfrog Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea for the final podium position.
Romania also sought an additional 0.1 for Maneca-Voinea’s score, arguing she was wrongly penalized for stepping out of bounds during her routine, but CAS rejected this appeal.
In response to the ruling, USA Gymnastics expressed their devastation, asserting that the inquiry into Chiles’ score was made in good faith and aligned with FIG regulations to ensure fair scoring.
The 23-year-old Chiles faced backlash on social media following the decision, with some critics demanding she return her medal or resorting to racist comments. She addressed the negativity on X, noting the difficulty in finding happiness for others.
Chiles’ mother, Gina Chiles, publicly defended her daughter against the hateful remarks, expressing her frustration over the treatment Jordan has received.
Gina Chiles emphasized her daughter’s accomplishments and character, stating that Jordan is a celebrated Olympian with unparalleled sportsmanship, deserving of respect rather than derogatory comments.
Jordan’s sister also voiced her concerns regarding the treatment of her sibling in the wake of the ruling.
