Olympian Jordan Chiles Successfully Appeals for Bronze Medal
Jordan Chiles has achieved a significant milestone in her ongoing effort to reclaim her bronze medal from the 2024 Olympic Games.
On Thursday, January 29, the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland announced that it had partially granted Chiles’ appeal.
“Given the extraordinary circumstances of this case, it believes that the audio-visual recording of the final on August 5, 2024, could potentially lead to a revision of the disputed award in favor of the applicants,” a statement provided to USA Today stated. “The CAS [Court of Arbitration for Sport] may find, based on this audiovisual evidence, that the verbal inquiry on behalf of Jordan Chiles was submitted within the allowable one-minute time frame.”
At 24, Chiles initially secured her bronze medal in the women’s floor exercise final during the August 2024 gymnastics competition after an inquiry by Team USA elevated her score due to the complexity of one of her jumps. This inquiry was accepted, improving Chiles’ score and displacing Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu from the podium.
However, Team Romania later submitted an inquiry contesting the Team USA request, alleging it was made after the deadline. The CAS ruled in favor of Romania, ultimately transferring the medal to Barbosu, who is 19.
In September 2024, Chiles filed an appeal with the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland seeking to overturn the CAS decision regarding the medal reallocation. While her appeal also questioned the independence of the CAS and any possible connections to Romania, this aspect was dismissed on Thursday.
“We are thrilled that the Swiss Federal Supreme Court has rectified an injustice and granted Jordan the opportunity she rightfully deserves to reclaim her bronze medal,” said Chiles’ attorney Maurice Suh. “As the court acknowledged, there is ‘conclusive’ video evidence confirming that Jordan was indeed the rightful bronze medalist.”
Suh added, “We also appreciate the Court’s recognition of the ‘extraordinary time pressure’ and notification errors that hindered Jordan from presenting this crucial evidence back in August 2024. We are grateful that Jordan will be given a complete and fair chance to defend her bronze medal.”
Jordan Chiles reflected on her transformative bronze medal situation a year after the Paris Olympics, stating, “A year ago today, I walked off the floor in Paris with a bronze medal — and lessons that will stay with me for life,” she posted on Instagram on Tuesday, August 5. “The hardest moments truly […]
While Chiles has not commented on her recent court victory publicly, she has previously shared her thoughts on the entire experience.
“I am overwhelmed by the support I have received in recent days. I am deeply grateful to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, USAG, and the USOPC for their steadfast support during this challenging time,” she remarked in an August 2024 Instagram post. “As I celebrated my Olympic success, I was devastated to learn that my bronze medal had been taken away.”
Chiles went on to say, “I have devoted my heart and soul to this sport, and I am so proud to represent my culture and my country. … I will remain steadfast in my values of competing fairly, striving for excellence, and upholding sportsmanship and equitable competition. I take pride in supporting all athletes, regardless of their team or nation.”
In the same month, Barbosu also addressed the ongoing controversy.
“Sabrina [Maneca-Voinea], Jordan, my thoughts are with you. I understand what you’re experiencing because I have been through similar challenges,” Barbosu expressed in a social media post, referencing their fellow gymnast affected by the inquiry. “I believe you will come back stronger. From the bottom of my heart, I hope that at the next Olympics, all three of us can stand on the same podium together. This is my true aspiration.”
