Court of Arbitration Denies Jordan Chiles’ Appeal for Bronze Medal
On Monday, July 12, the USA Gymnastics team shared that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) denied its appeal to restore Jordan Chiles’ bronze medal. According to the committee, they “do not allow for an arbitral award to be reconsidered even when conclusive new evidence is presented.”
The USA Gymnastics team responded with, “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 score, placement, and medal award for Jordan.”
The decision was handed down a little over a week after the Paris Olympics’ floor exercise competition.
The Story Behind the Appeal
In case you missed it, it all began when Chiles’ floor exercise final put her behind Romanian gymnasts Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea who both earned scores of 13.700. Chiles’ execution earned her a 13.666 score, with 1/10th of a point deducted because of an improper split leap.
Cecile Landi, Chiles’ coach, appealed the deduction and judges agreed, increasing her score to 13.766. This put Chiles in third place instead of fifth, above Barbosu and Manea-Voinea.
The Romanian Gymnastics Federation found the sudden reversal unfair and escalated the matter to CAS. The organization claimed the appeal was submitted too late, four seconds past the allowed one-minute timeframe.
CAS issued its ruling last Saturday, saying that Landi’s appeal on behalf of Chiles would be denied after all. Based on its decision, Barbosu would receive the bronze medal while Chiles would lose hers.
But the USA Gymnastics team refused to give up. Last Sunday, members claimed new footage that disproved the timeline of the Romanian Gymnastics Federation. Based on the video they submitted to CAS, the inquiry was made 47 seconds after Chiles’ score was revealed. However, CAS shared last Monday that it would not consider the evidence because it was against their rules.
Olympic Gymnasts Caught in the Middle
With so much going on behind the scenes, 18-year-old Barbosu and 23-year-old Chiles have found themselves on an emotional rollercoaster riddled with uncertainty.
Though the Romanian Gymnastics Federation requested that all three gymnasts—Chiles, Barbosu, and Manea-Voine—all be awarded bronze medals, the decision made the rounds across several decision-making bodies. CAS initially passed the responsibility to the International Gymnastics Federation or Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) while FIG deferred the matter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Meanwhile, the IOC referred it back to the FIG.
Chiles’ teammate, Simone Biles, showed her support through Instagram. Biles wrote, “Sending you so much love, Jordan. Keep your chin up Olympic champ! We love you!”
