Jordan Chiles stripped of bronze medal, USA Gymnastics files appeal

U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles has faced backlash and online hate after an appeal saw her third-place Paris Olympics floor exercise score demoted to fifth place.

USA Gymnastics has submitted an appeal against the International Olympic Committee’s decision that gymnast Jordan Chiles must return her Paris Olympics bronze medal in floor exercise.

The drama began last week when Chiles’ coach requested that judges review the gymnast’s difficulty score after her floor routine. Though Romanian gymnast Ana Bărbosu was positioned to take bronze in the Aug. 6 event, the review boosted Chiles’ 13.666 score to a 13.766 and pushed her into third place, bumping Bărbosu off the podium.

Bărbosu, who scored 13.700 with her routine, placed fourth behind Chiles. Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade earned gold while fan favourite Simone Biles took silver.

Then on Saturday, the Tribunal Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reversed the decision following an appeal from the Romanian team. CAS said the initial score review request from Chiles’ coach, Cecile Landi, came four seconds after the sport’s one-minute review window elapsed.

Chiles’ score was knocked back to a 13.666 and she was told by the IOC to return her bronze hardware.

Currently, Chiles has been moved back to fifth place, behind Romanian gymnast Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who also earned a 13.700 score. (Bărbosu placed ahead of Maneca-Voinea because of a higher execution score.)

On Sunday, USA Gymnastics said it had submitted an additional appeal to CAS that includes video evidence of Landi submitting the appeal for Chiles within 47 seconds of her score being posted.

USA Gymnastics is calling for CAS to revise its ruling and reinstate Chiles’ bronze-medal score of 13.766.