U.S. Olympic Officials Fight Back After Jordan Chiles Loses Bronze Medal in Controversial Ruling

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is preparing to challenge a ruling that has stripped American gymnast Jordan Chiles of her hard-earned bronze medal in the Paris Olympics floor exercise event. The decision comes after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) nullified an on-floor appeal by Chiles’ coach, which had initially propelled her into the third-place spot.

According to CAS, the appeal that boosted Chiles’ score came just four seconds too late, missing the one-minute time limit for scoring inquiries. This technicality led the court to void the appeal, ultimately handing the bronze medal to Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu.

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) quickly announced its compliance with the court’s ruling, stating that it would elevate Barbosu to the third-place position. On Sunday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed the decision, reassigning the medal from last Monday’s women’s floor final to Barbosu.

Despite this setback, the USOPC is not backing down. In a statement, the committee voiced its strong belief that Chiles rightfully earned the bronze medal. They pointed to significant errors in the initial scoring by FIG, as well as flaws in the CAS appeal process, as the basis for their decision to pursue further action.