Jordan Chiles has spoken out for the first time since being stripped of her bronze medal, with the US gymnast saying her heartbreaking ordeal has seen her face ‘race driven attacks’ after pouring her ‘heart and soul’ into the sport.
Chiles was rightfully buzzing when she won her first individual Olympic medal at Paris 2024.
But a gutting technicality saw it taken away despite the gymnast initially being ‘confident’ her team followed all the rules.
She was initially fifth after her scores were given in the women’s Gymnastics Floor final on 5 August. However, US coach, Cecile Landi, put in an inquiry regarding her difficulty score and when this was reviewed, her amended score bumped her up to third place – just behind Simone Biles in second.
Advert
With Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade taking gold, this trio of course led to one of the most iconic snaps of this year’s Olympics.
But on 10 August, the Court Arbitration for Sport reported that inquiry was submitted just beyond the one-minute deadline and the results were amended.
So, Chiles was knocked back down to fifth, effectively stripping her of her only individual Olympic medal with Romania’s Ana Bărbosu reinstated in third place.
With Biles sharing words of support for her teammate, the 23-year-old kept quiet, understandably pretty heartbroken.
But she spoke out on Thursday as she said she was ‘overwhelmed by the love’ sent to her in recent days.
“While celebrating my Olympic accomplishments, I heard the devastating news that my bronze medal had been stripped away," she wrote in a statement shared to Instagram.
"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.
“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."
She continued: "Finding joy again has been a culture shift and I love seeing others embrace it. I feel like I have given everyone permission 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.”
Topics: Olympics, Social Media, Sport
Jess Battison