Jordan Chiles loses appeal, will have to give up bronze medal

USA Gymnastics said an arbitration panel will not review a call that asked gymnast Jordan Chiles to return the bronze medal she won within the free exercise on the Paris Olympics.

USA Gymnastics says it will proceed to work to ensure Chiles retains her medal.

“USA Gymnastics was notified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday that its rules do not allow for a review of an arbitration award, even when conclusive new evidence is presented,” USA Gymnastics said in an announcement. “We are deeply disappointed by the notification and will continue to pursue all possible avenues and processes for appeal, including the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to ensure Jordan receives a fair score, placement, and medal.”

CAS dismissed Chiles’ coach’s appeal to move her up to third place, finding that the appeal was filed 4 seconds after the one-minute deadline for questions on the result had expired.

USA Gymnastics challenged the deadline, saying on Sunday that the agency had presented CAS with video evidence showing U.S. coach Cecile Landi first appealing 13 seconds before the deadline.

A dispute over such a minor detail is a prelude to a legal battle lasting months or years over the outcomes of gymnastics competitions.

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The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) said Saturday evening it might respect the court’s decision and promote Ana Barbosu of Romania to third place. The International Olympic Committee confirmed the ruling on Sunday, announcing it was reassigning the medal.

CAS ruled Saturday that Landi’s query to add 0.1 to Chiles’s rating got here outside the one-minute window. The CAS ad hoc committee wrote that Landi’s query got here 1 minute and 4 seconds after Chiles’s initial rating was published.

The IOC said it might contact the USOPC about returning Chiles’ bronze and would work with the Romanian Olympic Committee to discuss a relocation ceremony in Barbos’ honor. Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade won gold, while the U.S.’s Simone Biles was the silver medalist.

Any appeal could also be submitted to the very best court in Switzerland, the Swiss Court of Human Rights, or to the European Court of Human Rights.

Late Monday night, rapper Flavor Flav — who has been a high-profile celebrity supporter of 2024 Olympians including discus thrower Veronica Fraley — posted on social media platform X that he had made a stunning bronze medal for Chiles as a possible substitute because the U.S. battles the “Powers That Rule.” The substitute is available in the shape of a clock the rapper has carried around for many years, dating back to his days in Public Enemy.

“Thank you. This means the world to me,” reads the response posted on the X account of Gina Charles, the gymnast’s mother. “She’s not on social media right now, as you can imagine. I’ll share this with her.”