Jordan Chiles has officially spoken up about the controversy surrounding her Olympic bronze medal.
On August 15, the 23-year-old put out a lengthy statement on Instagram addressing the decision by a number of organizations—including the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), and the International Olympic Committee—to overturn her coach’s appeal that moved her up to third place.
“I have no words. This decisions feels unjust and comes as a significant blow not just to me but to everyone who has championed my journey,” she wrote. “To add to the heartbreak, the unprompted racially driven attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful.”
On August 5, the 23-year-old won the bronze medal in the individual floor exercise after her coaches contested her original score. Jordan initially placed fifth but, after the inquiry, she was moved up to third place, bumping Ana Bărbosu from Romania out of medal contention. But at that point, Ana thought she’d won bronze, making the whole thing a gut-wrenching experience.
Since then, a number of organizations have gotten involved, with the CAS ultimately deciding that Jordan’s original score—not the third-place one—was valid. On August 12, USA Gymnastics announced that they lost their appeal, meaning Jordan will have to give back her bronze.
Here’s everything to know about the Jordan Chiles controversy—plus what this means for the sport going forward, according to experts.
Meet the Expert: Former gymnast Julia Konner is the author of Perfect Balance: A Young Athlete’s Guide to the World of Gymnastics.
What is going on with Jordan Chiles’ bronze medal?
How much time do you have? As you’ve probably seen, Jordan went through the medal ceremony, with she and her buddy Simone Biles (who won silver on the floor exercise) bowing down to gold medalist Rebeca Andrade in a very cool show of sportsmanship. But things have gotten very complicated since then.
After the medal ceremony, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation appealed Jordan’s new score, arguing that the inquiry submitted by Team USA was turned in late. (Coaches only have a minute after a score is posted to submit an inquiry, which would then make the whole thing void.) According to the appeal, the inquiry was submitted at one minute and four seconds instead of under a minute.
Subsequently, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) recommended that Jordan’s original floor routine score be reinstated, with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) saying that would “reallocate” the bronze medal from Jordan to Ana, per The Athletic.
“Following the 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. “We are in touch with the NOC of Romania to discuss the reallocation ceremony and with USOPC regarding the return of the bronze medal.”
But the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee pushed back on the decision. “We are devastated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling regarding women’s floor exercise,” the organization said in a statement. “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.”
USA Gymnastics also submitted additional evidence that shows there was no issue with timing. “The time-stamped, video evidence submitted by USA Gymnastics Sunday evening shows [Jordan’s coach, Cecile] Landi first stated her request to file an inquiry at the inquiry table 47 seconds after the score is posted, followed by a second statement 55 seconds after the score was originally posted,” a statement from the organization said.
On August 12, the organization announced that their appeal had been denied, meaning Jordan has to give back the medal—for now.
“USA Gymnastics was notified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday that their rules do not allow for an arbitral award to be reconsidered even when conclusive new evidence is presented,” a statement posted on Instagram reads. “We are deeply disappointed by the notification and will continue to pursue every possible avenue and appeal process, including to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to ensure the just scoring, placement, and medal award for Jordan.”
What has Jordan Chiles said about it?
After taking a social media break for her mental health, Jordan posted a full statement on August 15.
After writing that she was “overwhelmed by the love I have received over the past few days” and is “incredibly grateful” for the support, Jordan turned her attention to the “devastating” news that her bronze had been stripped away.
“I have no words. This decisions feels unjust and comes as a significant blow not just to me but to everyone who has championed my journey,” she wrote. “To add to the heartbreak, the unprompted racially driven attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful. I’ve poured my heart and soul into this sport and I am so proud to represent my culture and my country.”
“I will never waver from my values of competing with integrity, striving for excellence, upholding the values of sportsmanship and the rules that dictate fairness. I have taken pride in cheering on everyone regardless of team or country,” she continued. “Finding joy again has been a culture shift and I love seeing others embrace it. I feel like I have given everyone permission to be authentic to who they are.”
Finally, Jordan said that she’s “now confronted with one of the most challenging moments of my career.”
Many people online—including some big names—have rallied around Jordan. Rapper Flavor Flav (who’s become a proponent of the American women’s water polo team) even had a bronze clock necklace made to replace the medal.
“USA gonna Fight The Powers that be,,, but in the meantime between time,,,” he wrote on Instagram. “I gots yo back @jordanchiles Hit me up 👍🏾”
What happens next?
As of the August 12 CAS decision, Ana is the only gymnast who will receive the bronze floor medal. But in rare cases, CAS decisions can be appealed to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, a.k.a. the Swiss Supreme Court, according to Georgetown Law. It is unclear if and when such bodies would take action.
In her statement, Jordan said she would continue to fight for her bronze medal.
“I will approach this challenge as I have others–and I will make every effort to ensure that justice is done,” she wrote. “I believe that at the end of this journey, the people in control will do the right thing.”
However, this controversy could have lasting effects for the sport, considering inqueries don’t happen very often. “Neither gymnasts nor coaches are able to see the judge’s scorecard and what exactly they deduct on,” explains former gymnast Julia Konner, author of Perfect Balance: A Young Athlete’s Guide to the World of Gymnastics. “Unless there is an egregious score that is completely out of line, contesting a score is not a common occurrence.”
Konner points out that there can be ties in both club and college gymnastics, adding, “there may be two, three, or even four gymnasts who share a place on the podium.”
Unfortunately for everyone involved here, there are no ties in the Olympics. As a result, Konmer says that “this situation has become a huge controversy.”
This isn’t a good look for gymnastics, Konner says. “No athlete should ever have to go through what Jordan Chiles and Ana Bărbosu have gone through over this bronze medal,” she says.
Konner adds that there may be some changes in the future because of the “unprecedented” situation.
“Since there has been so much controversy and back and forth over the timing of this appeal, coaches in the future will have to move as fast as possible so that there is no doubt over timing, as what happened in this situation,” she says. “Additionally, there will need to be more documentation and cameras that show exactly when coaches submit requests to stay within the allotted timeframe.”
“With the large viewership of Olympic gymnastics and all the positive outcomes that occurred over the past two weeks, it is disappointing that this is the biggest headline to come for the gymnastics community,” she adds.
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.
Charlotte Walsh (she/her) is an associate news editor with Women’s Health, where she covers the intersection of wellness and entertainment. Previously, she worked as a writer at The Messenger, E! News, and Netflix. In her free time, she enjoys reality television, tennis and films starring Nicole Kidman.