Jordan Chiles has broken her silence after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled in favor of stripping the American gymnast of her Olympic bronze medal.
In a statement posted on Instagram, Chiles, 23, said she was “overwhelmed by the love” she had received amid frustrating complaints to the Olympic Committee over the results of the women’s floor final during the August 5 Paris Summer Games.
“I am also incredibly grateful to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, USAG and the USOPC for their unwavering support during this difficult time,” Chiles said Thursday, August 15. “While I was celebrating my Olympic achievements, I heard the devastating news that I had been stripped of my bronze medal.”
Chiles said she had “confidence in the appeal filed by USAG, which provided convincing evidence that my score followed all the rules.” But in the end “this appeal was unsuccessful”.
I have no words, said Chiles about the result. “This decision feels unfair and comes as a significant blow, not only to me, but to everyone who has advocated for my journey,” she continued, before calling out the hateful messages this situation has brought her. “To add to the heartbreak, the racist attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful. I put my heart and soul into this sport and I’m so proud to represent my culture and my country.”
Jordan Chiles stripped of bronze, IOC says medal will go to Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosa
Jordan Chiles of Team USA in Paris.
Jean Catuffe/Getty
Chiles continued, stating, “I will never give up my values of competing with integrity, striving for excellence, upholding the values of sportsmanship and rules that dictate fairness. I was proud to support everyone, regardless of team or country. Finding joy has come again to change the culture and I love seeing others embrace it. I feel like I’ve given everyone permission to be authentic to who they are.”
The Olympian — who also won gold in the team final with Simone Biles, Hezley Rivera, Jade Carey and Sunisa Lee in Paris — said she “now faces one of the most challenging moments of her career,” in her statement, noting that she faced with “many” similar challenges in his award-winning career.
“I will approach this challenge as I have done others – and I will make every effort to ensure that justice is served. I believe that at the end of this journey, the people in control will do the right thing,” Chiles concluded.
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Team USA’s Jordan Chiles in action during the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Floor Exercise Final on Day 10 of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Bercy Arena on August 5, 2024 in Paris, France.
Tom Weller/VOIGT/Getty
Jordan Chiles’ mom calls out ‘racist disgusting comments’ aimed at Olympian: ‘It’s still happening in 2024.’
On August 10, Chiles was officially stripped of its floor bronze medal after a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) judge ruled in favor of two Romanian gymnasts, Ana Barbosa and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who initially finished fourth and fifth in the final before which Chiles’ score was changed to more accurately reflect the difficulty level of her routine.
But the Romanian National Olympic Committee protested to the CAS because Chiles’ coach Cecile Landi did not submit the inquiry in time that resulted in Chiles’ updated score.
“The inquiry filed on behalf of Ms. Jordan Chiles in the women’s floor exercise final was initiated after the expiration of the one-minute time limit provided for in Article 8.5 of the 2024 FIG Technical Regulations and was found to be without effect,” the decision stated.
Chiles announced she would take time off from social media amid the decision ahead of her August 15 statement.
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Source: HIS Education