Jordan Chiles speaks out for first time since losing Olympic bronze medal

Jordan Chiles may not have an Olympic bronze medal, but he has the support of his fans, including Flavor Flav. On Wednesday night on the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, the rapper, known for his over-the-top clock chains, surprised Chiles with a blinding bronze clock chain of his own.

“I’d like to turn this into a little Olympic moment for a moment, if you don’t mind,” Flav said on stage because the pair prepared to present the award for best collaboration. “I know they tried to take your medal away from you. But you know what? I have something they can’t take away from you.”

Chiles, who was overjoyed on the rapper’s generous gesture, was much more surprised when Flavor Flav revealed that he would also gift her the prize money she would have received for her Olympic title.

This summer, the Team USA gymnast dazzled spectators together with her charisma and talent on the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, Chiles suffered a “significant blow” when Team Romania challenged her bronze medal, arguing that it must have gone to her rival, Ana Barbosu. When the jury ultimately granted the appeal, Chiles was forced to return the medal since the Olympic title was re-awarded to Barbosu.

Featured Stories

In addition to feeling “unfair” concerning the decision, Chiles says the “unexpected racial attacks on social media” that followed the situation were especially heartbreaking. In her first interview since the appeal decision, the Team USA gymnast spoke about how the situation affected her well-being.

“The biggest thing that was taken away from me was the recognition of who I am. Not just my sport, but the person that I am. For me, everything that happened wasn’t about the medal, it was about the color of my skin,” she said on the Forbes Power Women’s Summit. “I felt like when I came back in 2018, when I lost my love for the sport, I lost it again. I felt like I was really left in the dark.”

Despite the outpouring of support on social media, Chiles admitted that it was initially “really hard for her to really see all the love and support” as she grappled with the emotions surrounding the committee’s decision.

“I feel it now, but at first it was really hard to take it in because my heart was broken,” Chiles explained. “It all happened so fast. But I appreciate every single person who was able to come out and say what they needed to say, whether it was through social media… through news outlets… (or) just people texting me. I appreciate it so much, and I don’t think I would be in this place right now, sitting here talking to everybody. If it wasn’t for everybody being right there with me and really recognizing what was right.”