The International Olympics Committee (IOC) has stripped Jordan Chiles of the bronze medal she earned for her performance during the women's solo floor exercise at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The 23-year-old University of California, Los Angeles student-athlete was dealt the devastating news on Sunday (Aug. 11) from the IOC. In her Instagram Story, she shared two posts, one of four broken heart emojis and the other a note to her followers that read: “I am taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health thank you.”
Her victory was retroactively called into question when the Romanian Federation of Gymnastics filed a protest arguing that U.S. Coach Cecile Landi submitted an appeal for judges to review Chiles’s score too late. The floor routine initially earned a 13.666, but Landi’s appeal to reassess the difficulty of performance led to a 0.1 increase. With a 13.766 score, Chiles moved from fifth place to third, bypassing Romanian gymnast Ana Bărbosu, who earned a 13.700.
The federation said the requested review of the American athlete’s score was submitted four seconds too late. Coaches have a minute to file an appeal. An IOC arbitration panel ruled that Landi submitted the protest 64 seconds after Chiles’ score was posted. As a result, her medal will now be awarded to Bărbosu.
“Following the CAS decision with regard to the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Floor Exercise Final and the amendment of the ranking by the International Gymnastics Federation, the IOC will reallocate the bronze medal to Ana Bărbosu (Romania),” the IOC said in a statement on Sunday (Aug. 11). “We are in touch with the NOC of Romania to discuss the reallocation ceremony and with USOPC regarding the return of the bronze medal.”
The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee has declared its plans to appeal the ruling. “We firmly believe that Jordan rightfully earned the bronze medal, and there were critical errors in both the initial scoring by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the subsequent CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) appeal process that need to be addressed,” said the committee. “Given these circumstances, we are committed to pursuing an appeal to help Jordan Chiles receive the recognition she deserves,” the U.S. committee said. “We remain dedicated to supporting her as an Olympic champion and will continue to work diligently to resolve this matter swiftly and fairly,” they added.
Members of Team USA’s women’s gymnastics have spoken out in support of Chiles. Simone Biles wrote on Instagram, “Sending you so much love, Jordan. Keep your chin up, Olympic champ! We love you!” Jade Carey reshared a USA Gymnastics post condemning the “baseless and extremely hurtful social media attacks” Chiles faced amid the appeal process. She also wrote, “Don’t punish the athlete for someone else’s mistake. With you all the way, Jo. You are forever an Olympic champion that has so much to be proud of.”
Teammate Sunisa Lee said, “All this talk about the athlete, what about the judges? Completely unacceptable. This is awful, and I’m gutted for Jordan. I got your back forever, Jo. [You] have all my flowers and you will ALWAYS be an Olympic Champion. Hezley Rivera shared a similar sentiment when she wrote, “I love you, Jordan Chiles, and will always support you.”
Chiles’ mother, Gina Chiles, also addressed some of the internet vitriol in a fiery tweet defending the athlete. “The racist, disgusting comments are still happening in 2024. I’m tired of people who say it no longer exists. My daughter is a highly decreed Olympian with the biggest heart and a level of sportsmanship that is unmatched…and she’s being called disgusting things,” she wrote. Throughout the weekend, Gina has continued to retweet posts uplifting the gymnast, such as Team USA’s declaration that Chiles is “Forever THAT GIRL” regardless of the bronze medal controversy.
The Paris Games marked Chiles’ second Olympic appearance, having qualified for the Tokyo Games in 2020. This year, she and her teammates walked away with top honors after earning a gold medal for its team final on July 30.