Jordan Chiles could be at risk of losing the bronze medal he won on floor exercise at the 2024 Paris Olympics after his score was overturned by a review board.
On Saturday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reversed the 23-year-old gymnast’s score from 13.766 to 13.666 after the Romanian team appealed to the review board, arguing that judges on Monday’s floor exercise should not have allowed a review of the score because Chiles’ coach requested it four seconds after the one-minute window had expired.
CAS agreed with the Romanian team and ruled that Chiles’ final score on the floor exercise will revert to the initial score of 13.666. Chiles’ coach requested a review of the difficulty score on Monday, and the judging panel concluded that she was not properly credited for her skills routine. The initial score of 13.666 placed her in fifth place and off the podium, but the review of the score later increased to 13,766 and third, knocking Romanian Ana Bărbosu’s 13,700 off the podium for the bronze medal. Brazilian Rebeca Andrade took gold and Simone Biles took silver.
But while CAS can resolve disputes over Olympic rules, it cannot force the removal of medals. That would be up to the International Gymnastics Federation to decide whether to strip Chiles of his bronze medal and award it to Bărbosu.
Following the CAS decision, USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee released a joint statement harshly criticizing the decision.
“We are devastated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision regarding the women’s floor exercise. The inquiry into the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles’ floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believe, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring,” the statement read. “Throughout the appeal process, Jordan has been the target of consistent, wholly unfounded and extremely hurtful attacks on social media. No athlete should be subjected to such treatment. We condemn the attacks and those who engage in, support or instigate them. We commend Jordan for conducting herself with integrity on and off the competition floor, and we continue to support her.”
Chiles also took to her Instagram Story and posted three heartbreak emojis. In a subsequent Story, she wrote, “I’m taking this time and taking myself off social media for my mental health, thank you.”
Chiles, likely set to compete in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, won a gold medal as part of the U.S. team that won the overall competition.
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