Jordan Chiles has spoken out following the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) decision to strip her of her Olympic bronze medal.
In an Instagram statement, the 23-year-old U.S. gymnast expressed that she is “overwhelmed by the love” she has received during the challenging and frustrating appeals process with the Olympic committees regarding the results of the women’s floor final at the Paris Summer Games on August 5.
“I am also incredibly grateful to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, USAG, and the USOPC for their unwavering support during this difficult time,” Chiles shared on Thursday, August 15.
“While celebrating my Olympic accomplishments, I was devastated to learn that my bronze medal had been taken away.”
Chiles explained that she “had confidence in the appeal brought by USAG, who provided conclusive evidence that my score adhered to all the rules.” However, “the appeal was ultimately unsuccessful.”
“I have no words,” Chiles said of the outcome. “This decision feels unjust and is a significant blow not just to me, but to everyone who has supported my journey.”
She also addressed the hateful messages she has received in the aftermath, saying, “To make matters worse, the racially driven attacks on social media are deeply wrong and incredibly hurtful.
I have dedicated my heart and soul to this sport, and I am immensely proud to represent both my culture and my country.”
Chiles continued, affirming her commitment to integrity, excellence, sportsmanship, and fairness in competition.
“I have always taken pride in cheering for everyone, regardless of their team or country.
Rediscovering joy in this sport has been transformative, and I love seeing others embrace that authenticity. I feel like I’ve given people permission to be true to themselves.”
The Olympian, who also won gold in the team final alongside Simone Biles, Hezley Rivera, Jade Carey, and Sunisa Lee in Paris, acknowledged that she is “now facing one of the most challenging moments of my career,” noting that she has encountered “many” similar challenges in her illustrious career.
“I will approach this challenge as I have others — with determination to ensure that justice is served. I believe that in the end, those in power will do the right thing,” Chiles concluded.
On August 10, Chiles was officially stripped of her bronze medal in the floor exercise after a CAS judge ruled in favor of Romanian gymnasts Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who had originally finished in fourth and fifth place before Chiles’ score was adjusted to more accurately reflect the difficulty of her routine.
The Romanian National Olympic Committee protested to CAS, arguing that Chiles’ coach, Cecile Landi, did not submit the inquiry that led to Chiles’ updated score within the required time frame.
“The inquiry submitted on behalf of Ms. Jordan Chiles in the Final of the women’s Floor exercise was raised after the conclusion of the one-minute deadline provided by article 8.5 of the 2024 FIG Technical Regulations and is therefore without effect,” the ruling stated.
Chiles announced that she would be stepping away from social media following the decision, before issuing her statement on August 15.
