Gymnastics is full of twists and turns, but the unfolding saga over which gymnast will officially take home the bronze in the 2024 Olympic women’s artistic floor exercise final has been more complicated than anyone expected.
USA gymnast Jordan Chiles was stripped of her first individual Olympic medal after the Romanian gymnastics team challenged her final score. Chiles addressed the controversy for the first time Thursday, calling it “one of the most challenging moments of my career.”
“I have no words. This decision feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey,” Chiles wrote in a statement on her social media. But she vowed to continue fighting.
“I believe that at the end of this journey, the people in control will do the right thing.”
Despite setbacks, Team USA has vowed to continue fighting for Chiles’ bronze medal to be restored, indicating the battle for bronze is far from over.
Here’s what you need to know.
The competition was fierce – and it was always going to be close
The gymnastics women’s floor exercise final was already set to be a nail-biter before Chiles stepped onto the mat for the final performance on August 5. Romania’s Ana Bǎrbosu and her teammate, Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, were tied with a score of 13.700.
Chiles’ chance to earn her first individual medal and grace the Olympic podium would come down to a mere tenth of a point.
The 23-year-old gymnast confidently executed her floor routine to a Beyoncé medley, and all three athletes waited anxiously for the judges to announce her score.
Chiles was initially awarded a score of 13.666, placing her in fifth place. But as the stadium erupted in celebration over Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade’s gold medal, USA Gymnastics Coach Cecile Landi filed an inquiry over Chiles’ difficulty score.
Minutes later, Chiles was first to notice the judges’ decision – leaping up and down as a stunned Landi gaped at the leaderboard. The judges revised her score by 0.1, giving her 13.766 to clinch the bronze.
The win was historic – marking the first time all three positions on the Olympic podium were held by Black women. In a remarkable display of sportsmanship, Chiles suggested she and Biles playfully bow to Andrade. The move was captured in an iconic photo that instantly made sporting history.
But the celebration would be short-lived.
Why Romania challenged the score
International Gymnastics Federation regulations allow a coach to challenge a difficulty score “provided that they are made verbally immediately after the publication of the score.”
According to the guidelines, a coach has 1 minute after the score is shown to make a verbal inquiry for the last gymnast in a rotation.
Because Chiles was the final gymnast to perform, her coaches were racing against the clock.
“The person designated to receive the verbal inquiry has to record the time of receiving it, either in writing or electronically, and this starts the procedure,” according to the rules.
The Romanian Gymnastics Federation and gymnasts Bǎrbosu and Maneca-Voinea filed an official challenge with the Court of Arbitration for Sport to review the circumstances surrounding the decision to revise Chiles’ score.
They argued the USA Gymnastics inquiry was filed 4 seconds after the 1-minute deadline and Chiles’ initial score of 13.666 should be upheld. All three athletes, the gymnasts argued, should be placed in third position and each awarded a medal.
For the next week, the appeals process played out behind the scenes. Both parties argued their cases before a panel at a hearing on August 10, according to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Then, later that day, the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld Team Romania’s challenge.
The sports governing body announced it had determined the inquiry submitted on behalf of Chiles “was raised after the conclusion of the one-minute deadline … and is determined to be without effect.”
“The Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique shall determine the ranking of the Final of the women’s Floor exercise and assign the medal(s) in accordance with the above decision,” the Court of Arbitration for Sport said in a statement.
It was later announced the bronze would be awarded to Bǎrbosu of Romania.
A heartbroken Chiles reacts
“We are devastated,” USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee said in a joint statement following the ruling. “The inquiry in 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.”
It also noted Chiles had been subjected to “utterly baseless and extremely hurtful attacks on social media.”
Chiles posted four broken heart emojis to her Instagram story following the decision, and announced she would be taking a break from social media. “I am taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health thank you,” she wrote.
In her statement Thursday, Chiles addressed attacks directed at her since the ruling.
“To add to the heartbreak, the unprompted racially driven attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful,” Chiles wrote. “I’ve poured my heart and soul into this sport and I am so proud to represent my culture and my country.”
Another twist: USA says it has timestamped evidence
Hours later, USA Gymnastics announced it had formally submitted a letter and additional evidence to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to appeal the ruling.
The team said in a statement it had submitted timestamped video evidence showing USA Gymnastics Coach Landi submitted her inquiry “47 seconds after the score is posted, followed by a second statement 55 seconds after the score was originally posted.”
The team said it did not have access to the footage prior to the tribunal’s decision and later argued there were “critical errors” in the initial scoring and the Court of Arbitration for Sport appeals process that needed to be addressed.
“Given these circumstances, we are committed to pursuing an appeal to help Jordan Chiles receive the recognition she deserves. We remain dedicated to supporting her as an Olympic champion and will continue to work diligently to resolve this matter swiftly and fairly,” the team said in a statement.
USA Gymnastics’ appeal is denied
USA Gymnastics said on Monday the Court of Arbitration for Sport had denied its appeal for Chiles to keep her floor exercise bronze medal.
“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,” the organization said in a statement Monday evening, adding it would continue to pursue the case.
“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.”
The Court of Arbitration for Sport later confirmed in a statement that once both parties are notified of the tribunal’s final decision, “the case cannot be reopened at the CAS level.”
The sporting body also said both parties “had ample opportunities to present their arguments and objections” during the hearing.
“If new evidence (i.e. objectively unknown at the time of the CAS hearing) appears after the issuance of the CAS decision, it would be possible to ask the Swiss Federal Tribunal to order that the case be reopened. The CAS would also reopen the case spontaneously if all parties agree,” the statement said.
The case continues to somersault
Dr. Hamid G. Gharavi, the head of the three-person CAS panel that ruled in favor of awarding the bronze to Romania, has a history of representing the country’s legal interests. Gharavi’s resume, linked on CAS’ website, lists multiple instances in which he has represented Romania in arbitration cases.
“In accordance with the guidelines on conflicts of interest issued by the International Bar Association (IBA), CAS has no reason to remove an arbitrator making such disclosure if the parties do not object to his/her appointment,” CAS said in a statement to CNN on Wednesday.
CAS also reiterated it would stand by its initial ruling – arguing the US never disputed the claim that the inquiry was made 4 seconds after the 1-minute deadline during the initial hearing.
“All parties accepted as clear and determinative the report prepared by Omega, the official timekeeper for the Olympic Games, and submitted by the FIG itself,” CAS said in a statement. “No party sought the admittance of other evidence.”
The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee and USAG now also claim that CAS initially sent “crucial communications” to the wrong email addresses, and as a result the parties were not able to properly prepare for the hearing.
“The USOPC strongly contests the CAS decision due to significant procedural errors,” the committee told CNN on Thursday. “From August 6-9, CAS sent crucial communications to erroneous email addresses at USOPC and USAG, an error not corrected until August 9 – three days after filing, two days past the deadline to submit objections, and less than 24 hours before the hearing. This deprived us of adequate time to respond meaningfully or gather necessary evidence. We informed CAS of our objections immediately.”
“Our pursuit of truth in this matter remains unwavering,” USOPC said.
Bǎrbosu awarded the bronze
On Friday, Bǎrbosu was awarded the bronze medal during a ceremony in Bucharest, Romania. The gymnast thanked her coaches for their support and said receiving the medal was a “very emotional moment.”
“The resolution of the case was possible thanks to the federation and the law firm that did not give up on us, the sportswomen, and fought for all of us and wanted there to be three bronze medals,” Bǎrbosu said, according to Reuters.
“I thank them because they fought for us and continue to fight. I’m very happy to have this medal and I hope to continue to represent Romania at the highest level and bring back as many medals as possible. Thank you!”
It’s unclear how long it could take for Team USA’s appeal to work through arbitration.
And while score revisions are not uncommon, Chiles’ case is unusual. In the past, athletes have been stripped of their medals when the International Olympic Committee finds evidence of illegal substance use.
Superstar Usain Bolt was forced to return an Olympic gold medal he’d won in the 4x100m relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics after it was revealed his teammate, Nesta Carter, had tested positive for a banned substance.
CNN’s Kevin Dotson, Jacob Lev, Issy Ronald, Ben Morse, Dan Moriarty and David Close contributed to this report.
