USA gymnast Jordan Chiles may be going through unprecedented challenges at the moment, but she certainly deserves every medal.
In recent days, Chiles has made headlines for being forced to return her Olympic bronze medal. The situation unfolded when Chiles finished fifth in last Monday’s floor exercise. However, after her coach appealed, Chiles was upgraded to bronze status. However, the International Olympic Committee fired back, claiming that the appeal shouldn’t have been made to begin with, and demanded that she return her third-place medal.
Me helping Jordan Chiles smuggle that Bronze medal out of Europe: pic.twitter.com/JxWlLXMCnX
— Melech. (@MelechThomas) August 11, 2024
This reversal has sparked outrage across social media, as many accused the decision of being rooted in racism. It should also be noted that when Olympic athletes are stripped of their medals, it is typically due to doping violations. With Chiles never having such transgressions, revoking her medal appears completely unfair, especially given her history.
The 23-year-old has been a member of the United States National Gymnastics Team since 2013, with numerous accolades under her belt. She won silver in the WOGA Elite Qualifier Beam & Floor that same year. She also finished sixth place in the Junior U.S. National Vault, also in 2013. By 2018, Chiles’ was highly regarded as one of the best gymnasts in the country, having placed first on the vault at the Pacific Rim Championships before switching up her training routine in 2019 to compete in the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020 as part of the silver medal-winning U.S. team. Before heading to Paris, Chiles earned a silver medal in the U.S. Classic and a bronze in the U.S. National Championships in 2021. The following year, Chiles was a crucial figure in the team that took home the gold during the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. With so many wins, Chiles is undoubtedly no rookie, making her Olympic hurdles much more troubling.
On Sunday, USA Gymnastics submitted new footage that shows Chiles coach Cecile Landi following protocol and submitting an inquiry into Chiles’ floor exercise score just 37 seconds after it was announced. This is within the one-minute grace period allowed for such a request. The video has been submitted as part of the USA’s plea to keep Chiles’ bronze medal, which she rightfully earned.
