Jordan Chiles Lost Bronze Medal To Romania’s Barbosu.

The incident began when USA Gymnastics made an inquiry about Chiles’ initial score of 13.666, which placed her fifth in the standings. After a successful appeal by Chiles’ coaches, her score was revised to 13.766, propelling her to third place and securing a bronze medal. However, this decision was met with protests from the Romanian Gymnastics Federation, who argued that the U.S. coaches had submitted their inquiry four seconds past the one-minute deadline permitted for such appeals.

The Romanian officials took their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), claiming that the late submission violated the rules and unfairly impacted their athletes, Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who were initially placed ahead of Chiles. CAS sided with the Romanian appeal, ruling that the inquiry was indeed submitted late, and reverted Chiles’ score to 13.666, thereby stripping her of the bronze medal and reinstating the original rankings.

In a statement, USA Gymnastics expressed deep disappointment with the CAS decision, stating, “USA Gymnastics was notified by CAS on Monday that their rules do not allow for an arbitral award to be reconsidered even when conclusive new evidence is presented.” The organization revealed that they had submitted video evidence showing that Landi’s appeal was made within the allowed timeframe, but this evidence was dismissed by CAS.

Despite the setback, USA Gymnastics remains committed to fighting for what they believe is a fair outcome for Chiles. “We are deeply disappointed by the notification and will continue to pursue every possible avenue and appeal process, including to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to ensure the just scoring, placement, and medal award for Jordan,” the statement continued.

The CAS ruling has sparked widespread outrage within the U.S. gymnastics community, with many expressing their support for Chiles. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has indicated that they will work with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) regarding the return of Chiles’ medal and will coordinate with the Romanian Olympic Committee for a reallocation ceremony to honor Barbosu.

Late on Monday, rapper Flavor Flav, who has been a prominent celebrity supporter of the 2024 Olympians, showed his support for Chiles by posting on X that he had created a custom bronze medal for her as a symbolic replacement. Chiles’ mother, Gina, responded with gratitude, saying, “Thank you. Means the world. She’s not on socials right now as you can imagine. I’ll share it with her.”

The Romanian Gymnastics Federation’s appeal to CAS has not only impacted Chiles but also sparked broader discussions about the fairness of scoring and the appeal process in gymnastics. The Romanian team had initially asked for the bronze medals to be shared, allowing Chiles to keep her medal, but this request was not granted.

Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu, who was directly affected by the situation, expressed her sympathy for both Chiles and her fellow Romanian gymnast, Maneca-Voinea. “Sabrina, 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,” Barbosu wrote in an Instagram post. She further expressed her hopes that at the next Olympics, all three athletes would share the podium in the spirit of true sportsmanship. “The situation would not have existed if the persons in charge had respected the regulation. We, as athletes, are not to be blamed, and the hate directed to us is painful,” she added.

As the legal battle over this controversial decision continues, USA Gymnastics is exploring every possible legal avenue, including appealing to Switzerland’s highest court, the Swiss Federal Tribunal, or potentially the European Court of Human Rights. The organization remains determined to secure what they believe is a just outcome for Jordan Chiles.