US gymnast Jordan Chiles calls decision to strip her of Olympic bronze medal 'unjust'

Jordan Chiles shows her medals in New York times square. Credit: AP

American gymnast Jordan Chiles called the decision to strip her of her bronze medal at the Paris Olympics "unjust" and said she has since faced a wave of racist attacks on social media.

Chiles' bronze medal that she won for the women's floor final was revoked after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled it should be awarded instead to Romania’s Ana Bǎrbosu.

The gymnast initially scored 13.666, placing her fifth, behind Bǎrbosu who held the bronze medal position with a score of 13.700.

But when US gymnastics coach Cecile Landi filed an inquiry over Chiles' difficulty score, the judges revised the score by 0.1 - giving Chiles 13.766, which helped her secure the bronze.

The win was historic – marking the first time all three positions on the Olympic podium were held by Black women.

Simone Biles, left, and Jordan Chiles, right,, of the United States, bow to gold medalist Rebeca Andrade, of Brazil. Credit: AP

However, shortly after, the Romanian Olympic Committee appealed, arguing that Landi's inquiry was filed after the official one-minute deadline.

As a result, CAS reversed their decision, promoting Bǎrbosu to third place and dropping Chiles back to fifth.

In an Instagram statement posted on Thursday, Chiles wrote: "I am overwhelmed by the love I have received over the past few days.

"While celebrating my Olympic accomplishments, I heard the devastating news that my bronze medal had been stripped away. I had confidence in the appeal brought by USAG, who gave conclusive evidence that my score followed all the rules. This appeal was unsuccessful.

"I have no words. This decision feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey.

"To add to the heartbreak, the unprompted racially driven attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful. I've poured my heart and soul into this sport and I am so proud to represent my culture and my country."

The case took a new turn on Wednesday when CAS condemned "outrageous statements" regarding an alleged conflict of interest involving its panel.

The panel was led by Hamid G. Gharavi, who was reported to have worked with the Romanian government for about 10 years. However, the court dismissed claims of bias.

Meanwhile, Chiles vowed to keep fighting for justice and expressed confidence that "the people in control will do the right thing".

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"I will never waver from my values of competing with integrity, striving for excellence, upholding the values of sportsmanship, and the rules that dictate fairness. I have taken pride in cheering on everyone regardless of team or country," her statement continued.

"Finding joy again has been a culture shift and I love seeing others embrace it. I feel like I have given everyone to be authentic to who they are.

"I am now confronted with one of the most challenging moments of my career. Believe me when I say I have had many. I will approach this challenge as I have others - and will make every effort to ensure that justice is done. I believe that at the end of this journey, the people in control will do the right thing."

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