Olympic Shocker: Jordan Chiles Faces Potential Bronze Medal Forfeiture

During the floor exercise final, a last-minute scoring inquiry on behalf of American gymnast Jordan Chiles vaulted her onto the podium.

WASHINGTON — U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles may have to return her bronze medal after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled her coach’s appeal was invalid. This decision is the latest development in the controversial conclusion of the women’s floor exercise final.

The CAS ruling, announced on Saturday, invalidated the U.S. team’s appeal due to it being lodged four seconds after the 1-minute deadline. The court stated that Chiles’ original score should be reinstated.

The CAS determined that the initial ranking should be restored, placing Romania’s Ana Barbosu in third, Sabrina Maneca-Voinea in fourth, and Chiles in fifth. They instructed the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) to enforce this decision and update the final rankings accordingly.

While CAS stopped short of mandating that Barbosu receive the bronze, the revised scores position her in third place.

FIG spokesperson Meike Behrensen stated in an email that a formal statement from the organization would be issued “in due course,” but did not provide a timeline.

The Romanian Olympic Committee had requested that three bronze medals be awarded to resolve the issue.

USA Gymnastics expressed their disappointment on social media, stating, “We are devastated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling regarding women’s floor exercise.” They defended the inquiry as being in good faith and consistent with FIG rules. They also condemned the social media attacks Chiles faced during the appeal process.

Chiles hinted at the outcome on her Instagram stories, indicating she is heartbroken and taking a social media break for her mental health.

Chiles initially appeared to miss out on a medal with a score of 13.666, which placed her in fifth. However, after her inquiry about the difficulty component of her routine, her score was adjusted by 0.1, pushing her into third and thus displacing Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea.

Barbosu, who was celebrating with her national flag, was visibly shocked by the score change, leading to tears. The incident has parallels with Aly Raisman’s 2012 Olympic balance beam appeal, which also resulted in a medal change.

Romanian gymnastics legend Nadia Comaneci expressed her outrage over the event on X, calling for better protection of athletes’ mental health. In response, Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced he would boycott the Paris Olympics’ closing ceremony in protest of the handling of the gymnastics competition.

Ciolacu vowed to honor Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea as Olympic medalists, both locally and in terms of prizes, emphasizing the national pride in their performances.

It’s unclear if Ciolacu will maintain his boycott now that Barbosu might receive the bronze medal, and whether the U.S. can further appeal the CAS decision.

In gymnastics, an inquiry can challenge a score via a verbal and written process, often involving video review. It costs $300 to file but is refunded if the inquiry is upheld.

John Roethlisberger explained during a live broadcast that Chiles’ appeal centered on a specific skill, the tour jete full. Team USA believed she performed it better this time, prompting them to challenge her initial score.

Olympian Laurie Hernandez supported the existence of inquiries, stating they correct occasional judgment errors. Meanwhile, Simone Biles secured her 11th Olympic medal in the competition, with Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade winning gold in the floor exercise.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.