This post was updated Aug. 12 at 1:08 a.m.
UCLA gymnastics rising junior Jordan Chiles must return her bronze medal from the floor event final at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee announced in a statement that the medal will be reallocated to Romania’s Ana Bărbosu.
“Following 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 statement said.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport suggested Saturday that the International Olympic Committee should strip Chiles’ bronze medal following appeals submitted by the Romanian Gymnastics Federation. The CAS recommended the medal be awarded to Romania’s fourth-place finisher Ana Bărbosu, who scored a 13.700 for her exercise.
The International Gymnastics Federation reversed Chiles’ score to 13.666, putting her in fifth and moving Bărbosu to third, with Romanian teammate Sabrina Maneca-Voinea in fourth.
Chiles, the Bruin phenom, scored a 13.766 for her routine Monday following an inquiry submitted by Team USA coach Cecile Landi, which raised her start value by a tenth of a point to a 5.9 and granted her a spot on the podium.
The Romanian Gymnastics Federation appealed the result Monday on the basis that the inquiry was accepted despite its submission four seconds beyond the one-minute deadline. Its appeal further requested that Chiles, Bărbosu and Maneca-Voinea all be awarded the bronze medal.
Chiles was fifth with a 13.666 score before submitting the inquiry. One of the skills in her routine – a tour jeté full – was recognized as a tour jeté half, prompting Landi to challenge the score to receive credit for the skill. The judges accepted the inquiry, which pushed Chiles into third place to earn the bronze medal.
USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee showed support for Chiles in a joint statement following the media release from the CAS.
“We are devastated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling regarding women’s floor exercise. The inquiry into the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles’ floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believed, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring,” the organizations wrote.
The statement added that Chiles has faced ongoing attacks on social media.
“Throughout the appeal process, Jordan has been subject to consistent, utterly baseless and extremely hurtful attacks on social media,” the statement said. “No athlete should be subject to such treatment. We condemn the attacks and those who engage, support or instigate them.”
Meanwhile, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation celebrated the victory, immediately reposting graphics of Bărbosu on Facebook with text that translates to “bronze for Romania on floor” following the recommendation by the CAS.
Chiles later announced a break from social media via Instagram, following reports that her medal potentially would be deprived of her. American teammates Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee – and former United States standout gymnast Alexandra Raisman – extended support for Chiles on social media platforms, explaining that the judges, rather than the athletes, should be held accountable.
The decision has sparked conversations of necessary changes within the FIG. Out-of-bounds detectors are utilized in sports such as tennis and volleyball, ensuring accurate calls. In gymnastics, however, judges watch from the sidelines and use their own discernment to flag out-of-bounds penalties, often resulting in human errors in scores.
With the loss of Chiles’ bronze medal, her title as UCLA gymnastics’ most decorated Olympian slipped away with it.
