Why Is There Controversy Over Jordan Chiles' Bronze Medal Win? Unpacking the Cheating Allegations

Jordan Chiles leaves the 2024 Paris Olympics as a gold and bronze medalist, but the latter award is in doubt.

The Olympic gymnast won gold in the team all-around with the rest of the US team – Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera – but won her first solo medal in the individual floor competition.

After the performance, she was initially given a score that placed her in fifth place. However, a query from her coach led to a change in the results — and the place on the podium. Chiles’ bronze relegated Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosa to fourth place, leaving her without a medal.

Romania is now questioning the decision, with the country’s prime minister, Marcel Ciolacu, announcing he would boycott the closing ceremony due to the “scandalous situation,” he posted on his Facebook page.

Chiles’ coach, Cecile Landi, took to social media to hit back at a user who commented on her post that Chiles cheated, writing that Chiles earned her bronze medal fairly and that there is no argument to the contrary.

“Jordan won this bronze medal and didn’t steal anything from anyone,” she wrote in the comment. “I was simply doing my job and fighting for my athlete.”

So why are people claiming Jordan Chiles cheated? Here’s everything you need to know about the allegations and how Chiles’ coach defended her.

Why did Chiles’ coach ask after her floor final?

Team USA’s Jordan Chiles competes in the women’s floor exercise final in artistic gymnastics on day 10 of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Bercy Arena on August 5, 2024 in Paris, France.

Jamie Squire/Getty

After Chiles finished her floor exercise on Aug. 5, she scored a 13.666, placing her in fifth place behind gold and silver medalists Rebecca Andrada and Biles, respectively, as well as Romanian gymnasts Barbosa and Sabrina Maneca-Voine.

However, Landi filed an inquiry claiming that Chiles received a lower difficulty score, which is calculated based on the sum of all the skills a gymnast performed, than she should have. The investigation specifically related to a jump that involved performing a mid-air split with a 540-degree spin.

Why did the judges change Chiles’ score?

Team USA’s Jordan Chiles celebrates winning the bronze medal after competing in the floor exercise final of the women’s artistic gymnastics on day 10 of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Bercy Arena on August 5, 2024 in Paris, France.

Jamie Squire/Getty

Originally, the judges gave Chiles a difficulty rating of 5.8 because he did not complete the jump. However, after Landa’s query, they re-evaluated and changed her score to 5.9, bringing her total to 13.766 and earning her bronze.

“The highest possible in Jordan [score value] on floor it’s 5.9 – In the qualifications and team finals she got a score of 5.8 and we didn’t question that because we saw that not all the elements were completed,” explained Landi in her Instagram comment. “We thought during the final on the ground floor [it] was better and I was fifth with nothing to lose, I sent the inquiry so I wouldn’t regret not asking.”

The question is not uncommon in gymnastics. According to the Associated Press, “questions are a standard part of gymnastics competitions” and “scores can be adjusted up or down based on questions.”

How did the Romanian gymnast react after the result was changed?

Ana Barbosu of Team Romania competes in the women’s floor exercise final in artistic gymnastics on day 10 of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena on August 5, 2024 in Paris, France.

Jamie Squire/Getty

For a minute and a half, Barbosa thought she would be on the podium. She wrapped herself in a Romanian flag and was about to run around the floor proudly waving it, as is typical of medal winners, when the score was adjusted and Chiles was placed on the leaderboard.

While Chiles was caught breaking down in tears and pouncing on Landa in celebration, Barbosa was clearly devastated, crying at her trainer.

Barbosu later posted a video of her floor finish on her Instagram stories, writing, “Thank you to everyone who cheered me on before, during and after the competition.”

She also re-shared the Instagram Stories post of retired Romanian gymnast Sandra Izbasa-Bianca, in which the athlete wrote in Romanian: “I hear more vividly than ever the words that the coaches repeated to us almost daily in the training room. ‘You, as Romanians, have to be more than perfect in order not to leave room for interpretation!’ And here, it was shown once again!”

What did Chiles say about the score change?

ordan Chiles of Team United States celebrates winning the bronze medal after competing in the women’s floor exercise final in artistic gymnastics on day 10 of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Bercy Arena on August 5, 2024 in Paris, France.

Jamie Squire/Getty

Chiles told reporters after winning the medal that she didn’t even know her coach had popped the question, but she was “very proud” when it arrived.

“It was my first event final and my first event medal, like, this is crazy,” she said. “It’s been a really long week, regardless of whether I’ve been out of competition for the past weeks or days or not. [I’m] just proud.”

She added in an interview for Good morning America that she was also “proud” of Barboso.

“Ana Barbosu, she is an incredible athlete, she has done incredible things in her gymnastics as well,” she said. “I’m very proud of myself, but also of her.”

Why is the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee filing a complaint?

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.

Tom Weller/VOIGT/Getty

The day after the competition, the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee announced on Facebook that they “sent a letter of protest to the International Gymnastics Federation… to re-evaluate the objection to Sabrina Voinea Manec’s floor exercises.”

Former Romanian gymnast legend Nadia Comaneci questioned Maneca-Voine’s 0.1 deduction for the lunge, writing that her heel never touched the ground on X (ex Twitter). If she got it wrong, her score would have been higher than Chiles’, which would have put her in third place.

“Mediating in the case of Romanian sport at the international level, its public declaration of withdrawal from this sport as a result of today’s decision morally obliges the decision-makers to re-analyze, justify and communicate the final decision,” the committee wrote. in the post.

They also referred to Barbosu’s loss, and wrote: “Ana Barbosu, who was in 3rd place for a minute and a half, was also a victim in the context of awarding grades and considering appeals.”

In his translated post on Facebook, Prime Minister Ciolacu asserted that Romanian athletes were “treated in an absolutely dishonorable manner.” He added that both athletes will be treated as medal winners when they return home.

Taking away a medal earned by honest work on the basis of an appeal that neither coaches nor top technicians understand is completely unacceptable! he wrote.

What did Chiles’ coach say in her defense?

Jordan Chiles of the United States is congratulated by coach Cecile Landi and teammate Simone Biles of the United States after dramatically winning the bronze medal on the turnaround after the women’s floor final.

Team Clayton/Corbis via Getty

After numerous comments on social media, Landi jumped to Chiles’ defense and further explained the situation in her comment. She said that she originally sent the query without thinking it would be accepted, but when it was, she was delighted.

Landi added that she felt bad for Barbosu, but at the end of the day, the medal belongs to Chiles.

“Do I feel bad for the Romanian athlete? Of course I want to!” she wrote. “It was so sad and heartbreaking to see, but that’s sport!”

Landi said Chiles “DESERVED” her bronze medal and deserves “respect” for her accomplishments.

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Source: HIS Education