Jordan Chiles, a rising star in U.S. gymnastics, is facing an unexpected and deeply disappointing challenge after her performance in the floor exercise at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Chiles originally finished in fifth place, but her coach quickly submitted an inquiry about her score, which resulted in her being awarded the bronze medal.
This inquiry was based on the belief that the judges had undervalued the difficulty of one of her elements—a 540-degree split leap. The judges agreed, boosting her score by a tenth of a point and moving her ahead of two Romanian gymnasts, Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea.
However, this decision has since been overturned. The Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee filed a protest, arguing that the inquiry was submitted four seconds past the one-minute deadline set by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG). The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) agreed with the Romanians, ruling that the inquiry was indeed too late and vacating the score adjustment.
As a result, Chiles’ score has been reverted to 13.666, putting her back in fifth place and stripping her of the bronze medal.
This turn of events has left Jordan Chiles and her supporters devastated. Not only does she have to grapple with the possibility of returning her first-ever individual Olympic medal, but she has also been subjected to a wave of online hate, including baseless accusations of cheating.
Chiles has since taken a step back from social media for her mental health, supported by USA Gymnastics, which has condemned the online abuse.
The final decision now rests with FIG, which will determine the official rankings and whether Chiles must return the bronze medal. The situation highlights the razor-thin margins and intense scrutiny that athletes face at the highest levels of competition.
