Twists and unexpected turns: Should Jordan Chiles get the bronze medal?
Photo courtesy of Philip Oroni on Unsplash
Kelsey Watson, Sports Editor
Gymnastics is a sport full of flips and turns, but nobody could have expected the turn of events Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles had to go through to get her Bronze Medal.
Jordan Chiles is a U.S. women’s gymnast who was unrightfully stripped of her Bronze Medal on floor at the 2024 Olympic games. This would have been Chiles’ first individual medal, but the Romanian national team challenged her final score resulting in the medal unfairly being taken away.
The entire Olympic community knew that floor routine would be a close competition in the women’s games when a Romanian athlete and Chiles teammate were tied at 13.700. This means for Chiles to be on the podium, she needed a tenth of a point more.
At first, Chiles placed fifth and was given a score of 13.666. Cecile Landi, U.S. women’s gymnastics coach, filed an inquiry regarding Chiles’ difficulty score. The judge changed her score and gave her 0.1 more, which means she ended with a 13.766, fairly giving her the Bronze Medal.
Landi had a right to put in an inquiry for the difficulty score to be changed. This was a very difficult routine that Chiles performed and she deserved to be scored higher.
The rule for appealing a score in the Olympics is that coaches have one minute after the score is revealed to put in a verbal inquiry.
An official challenge was filed with the Court of Arbitration for Sport by the Romanian Gymnastics Federation and Romanian gymnasts Bǎrbosu and Maneca-Voinea arguing that the U.S. gymnastics inquiry was four seconds after the one-minute mark was over. They wanted her original score of 13.666 to be the one they looked at, and they wanted all three athletes to be awarded a medal for third place.
On August 10, both groups presented their cases in a hearing, and in the end, the Court of Arbitration for Sport sustained the Romanian’s challenge.
Ultimately, the court determined that the challenge submitted was after the one-minute mark was up, therefore it was voided. In the end, the Bronze Medal was awarded to the Romanian gymnast Bǎrbosu, even though it should have never changed hands.
Due to stress and worry, once it was announced Chiles could not keep her medal, she removed herself from social media for mental health reasons.
Chiles said, “I’ve poured my heart and soul into this sport, and I am so proud to represent my culture and my country.”
A few hours later, the U.S. women’s gymnastics submitted a letter and evidence to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. They had video evidence that was timestamped. It showed Landi submitting her inquiry 47 seconds after the score was put up. This appeal ended up being denied, while it should have been considered because it is evidence that Chiles deserves her medal.
On Friday, Aug. 16, 2024, Bǎrbosu was awarded the Bronze Medal in Romania, which was called a “very emotional moment.”
On September 16, Chiles filed, and her attorneys cited three flaws in this entire situation. Now, the Swiss Federal Tribunal will confirm the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s ruling, or they will send the case back. This will either end Chiles’ fight or help her possibly get her medal back, but that is not promised. This entire situation could take many months before a decision is made.
Chiles deserves to be awarded the medal since there is video evidence that the inquiry was verbally submitted before the one-minute mark. It is understandable as to why the appeal happened in the first place. Everyone wants a metal if they can get it. The Romanian team saw an opportunity, and they took it. But, if there is clear video evidence that disproves what they are arguing, then there is no reason Chiles should not be able to keep her medal.
The inquiry was put in by the U.S. coach because she did not believe Chiles’ difficulty level was scored properly, and she ended up being correct. Romania rightfully challenged this situation because they thought it was too late. This is understandable.
Going through this as an athlete, especially in the Olympics, can be extremely difficult on your body and mind. These athletes pour their heart and soul into their sports to make it on the podium, and to have something you have worked so hard for stripped away can really impact someone’s career negatively.
Chiles dream was taken away from her. Yes, she has a gold and silver medal in the all-around team section, but this would have been her first individual medal, and she was stripped of it in an instant. This is heartbreaking, and it should be returned to the U.S. native.
It is particularly important to remember how hard this young woman has worked and dedicated her life to this sport she loves.
