Team USA’s Jordan Chiles has been stripped of her bronze medal in the women’s floor final at the 2024 Paris Olympics
The reason why Jordan Chiles has been stripped of her Olympic bronze medal is a devastating one for the athlete.
Earlier on in the Olympics, Chiles bagged third place in the women’s floor final behind teammate Simone Biles, who took home the silver medal, and Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade who won the gold.
Romania’s Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Voinea both lost to the American gymnast after Team USA requested an appeal of Chiles’ difficulty score.
The judges later decided Chiles’ D-score would be changed from a 5.8 to a 5.9, ultimately moving her up to the bronze medal positions.
However, unhappy at the decision, the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee launched a bid to get the decision overturned.
Jordan Chiles has been stripped of a bronze medal. (Alex Gottschalk/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Mihai Covaliu, the president of the Romanian Olympic Committee, sent a formal letter of protest to the International Gymnastics Federation.
“With respect to Olympic values, the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee forwards this address, by which it respectfully requests you to order the re-analysis [of] the decision making factors of the case of the Romanian athlete Sabrina Maneca Voinea regarding the score given to the execution of the exercise in the floor final, contested on Monday, August 5, 2024,” the letter begins.
It continued: “We make this request based on the care that the International Olympic Committee and the entire world sports movement gives to the athlete.
“The way of assessing the score awarded and the refusal to fully present the reasons/evidence for the rejection of the appeal submitted within the deadline provided by the regulation brings serious damage both to the image of international gymnastics but especially affects the athlete, endangering his mental health.”
The Romanian body was ultimately successful with its appeal as Chiles was recently stripped of her bronze medal.
Jordan Chiles competing in the floor exercise at the Olympics (Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
“The IOC will reallocate the bronze medal to Ana Barbosu (Romania). We are in touch with the NOC of Romania to discuss the reallocation ceremony and with USOPC regarding the return of the bronze medal,” the International Olympic said.
But what is the reason for Chiles’ medal being taken away?
Well, the initial appeal by the USA team was done four seconds outside of the one-minute window for appeals to be made.
As a result, the court revealed the appeal was ‘without effect’ and ordered Chiles’ original score of 13.666 to be reinstated.
In a joint statement posted to Twitter, USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee said: “We are devastated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling regarding women’s floor exercise.
“The inquiry into the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles’ floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believed, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring.”
