Jordan Chiles was stripped of the bronze medal she won in the floor exercise at the Paris 2024 Olympics after her score was overturned by a review board.
Last Monday, Chiles’ coach asked for a review of the difficulty score, and a panel of judges concluded that he was not regularly credited for his skill. A preliminary score of 13.666 put him in fifth place and off the podium, but a review of the score came later. boosting him to 13,766 and finished third, beating Romania’s Ana Bărbosu with a score of 13.700 from the podium for the bronze medal. Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade took gold and Simone Biles took silver.
On Saturday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned the 23-year-old gymnast’s score from 13.766 to 13.666 after the Romanian team appealed to the review board, arguing that the judges in Monday’s floor exercise should not have allowed it. score review because coach Chiles asked for it four seconds after the window of one minute passed.
CAS agreed with the Romanian team and ruled that Chiles final score in the floor exercise would return to the initial score of 13.666.
Chiles has spoken about his fate in a statement posted to his Instagram Story over the weekend.
“I am taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health thank you,” Chiles wrote after a wave of abusive messages and posts were sent to him on social media after the preliminary appeal and bronze medal presentation. .
Bărbosu sent a public message of solidarity with Chiles after the decision, and said he felt sorry for him after the news.
“Sabrina, Jordan, my thoughts are with you,” she wrote. “I know what you feel, because I have been through the same thing. But I know you will come back stronger. I hope from the bottom of my heart that in the next Olympics, the three of us will share the same podium. This is my true dream! “
“This situation would not exist if the people in charge respected the regulations,” he said. “We, the athletes, are not to blame, and the hatred directed at us hurts. I want to end this edition of the Paris 2024 Olympics with the spirit of Olympism, the true value of the world.”
After the CAS ruling, USA Gymnastics and the USA Olympic and Paralympic Committee released a joint statement slam the decision.
“We are devastated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling on women’s floor exercise. The investigation into the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles routine floor exercise was submitted in good faith and, we believe, according to the rules of the FIG to ensure accurate scores,” the statement read. “During the appeals process, Jordan has been subjected to consistent, baseless and extremely hurtful attacks on social media. No athlete should be treated like that. He conducted himself with integrity on and off the competition floor, and we continue to stand by him and support him. “
In addition, USA Gymnastics published a statement on social media on Sunday stating that it had footage to prove the coach’s request for an inquiry was made in the allotted time, and that they were asking for the board’s decision.
“USA Gymnastics on Sunday officially submitted a letter and video evidence to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, believing that Head Coach Cecile Landi’s request to file an investigation was filed 47 seconds after the publication of the score, within the 1-minute deadline required by the FIG Rules,” the statement said. . “In the letter, USA Gymnastics requested that the CAS ruling be revised and that Chiles’ bronze medal score of 13.766 be reinstated.”
USAG claimed, “The video footage provided was not available to USA Gymnastics prior to the court decision and therefore USAG did not have the opportunity to submit it earlier.”
Chiles — who, in all likelihood, will compete at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles — earned the gold medal as part of Team USA’s winning all-around competition this year.
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