On Monday, September 16, Jordan Chiles‘ legal team filed an appeal with the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland. They are challenging a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that led to Chiles being stripped of her bronze medal in the women’s gymnastics floor event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The medal was later given to Romanian gymnast Ana Bărbosu.
Chiles’ lawyers argue there was a conflict of interest in the arbitration process. They claim that CAS president Hamid G. Gharavi, who was involved in the ruling, had been representing Romania for almost a decade and continued to do so during the incident. According to the press release, Chiles was never properly informed about Gharavi’s connection to Romania, which raises concerns about fairness.
“Jordan Chiles’ appeal presents the international community with a simple legal question,” said her attorney Maurice M. Suh. “Will we allow an Olympic athlete to lose her medal due to a flawed arbitration process? The answer should be no. Fair play should be the standard for every part of the Olympics, including arbitration.”
Chiles has received support from several major organizations. The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has filed a letter backing her appeal. USA Gymnastics also announced its support in a statement, saying it would work closely with Chiles and her legal team and assist with further filings to ensure fairness in the appeal process.
Chiles had a strong showing at the Paris Olympics, winning gold with Team USA in the women’s artistic team all-around on July 30. She later competed in the individual floor exercise competition on August 5 and initially finished fifth. After her coach raised a scoring concern, her position was changed to third, earning her the bronze. However, after the Romanian gymnasts appealed to the CAS, the International Olympic Committee ordered Chiles to return the bronze medal on August 11.
The CAS’s decision was based on a claim that Chiles’ coach missed the deadline to challenge the score by four seconds. Chiles and her team dispute this, saying they provided video evidence showing the inquiry was submitted on time.
Chiles shared her thoughts about the situation on Instagram on August 15, expressing her disappointment after the CAS ruling went against her. “While celebrating my Olympic accomplishments, I heard the devastating news that my bronze medal had been stripped away,” she wrote. She mentioned that she had believed in the appeal made by USA Gymnastics, which she said presented clear evidence that her score was correctly submitted. Still, the appeal was denied.
“This decision feels unfair and is a major setback, not just for me, but for everyone who has supported my journey,” Chiles added.
