US gymnast Jordan Chiles still has bronze medal in her possession; floor exercise
American gymnast Jordan Chiles says she’s yet to hand back the Paris bronze medal which was officially stripped after protest from Team Romania.
It was ruled Chiles must return the bronze medal she won in the Paris Olympics floor exercise after the Court of Arbitration for Sport said her score was judged improperly.
The IOC announced it was reallocating the bronze to Romanian Ana Barbosu after the ruling, with the European gymnast awarded a bronze days after the event had ended.
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But Chiles confirmed she still has the medal in her possession as she challenges the decision and “continues the fight”.
“It’s still a bronze in my head, it’s still a bronze in my heart. I still have the medal if anybody is asking,” she told The Trophy Room With Candace Parker.
Jordan Chiles and Simone Biles celebrate as they see the scores and win bronze and silver medals in the floor routine on Aug. 5, 2024, at Bercy Arena during the Paris Olympics. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) TNS
“I still have it and I can’t really continue on my life with having something so small but so big in the world carry in my heart for the rest of my life. I can’t let that happen.
“Yes, I’m going to continue to fight, but I can only fight for so long, I can only fight for so much.
“I know what my right is and I know what I’ve done to create this amazing ability to be this two-time Olympian.”
Chiles told Parker she was still undecided on competing at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
She reflected on the situation in her book “I’m That Girl” stating the actions of Barbosu’s coach in the moment made things difficult.
Jordan Chiles of Team USA looks on with her Bronze Medal from the Women’s Apparatus floor final on day ten of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 05, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images) Getty
She wrote: “I was crushed and angry. None of this would have happened if Ana’s coach, who knew that Cecile had submitted an inquiry right after my floor routine, had waited for the inquiry results to come in before allowing Ana to take the podium, holding her flag.
“That was highly unusual and premature. Our coaches would not have allowed us to do that.
“Everyone knows you don’t celebrate until after everything is final – and an inquiry for my score had been announced.”
She continued: “The fact that the validity of my medal was being questioned after the fact – days after the medal ceremony had taken place – was surprising and outrageous to me.
“Once the medal ceremony has happened, that is the final result unless a drug or rules violation is discovered. That had been the case at every single Olympics in history.”
The decision came less than 24 hours after the Court of Arbitration for Sport voided a scoring appeal made by Team USA coach Cecile Landi during the competition that had vaulted Chiles onto the podium.
CAS ruled that the on-floor appeal by Landi to have 0.1 added to Chiles’ score came outside the one-minute window allowed.
The IOC said in a statement at the time it would be in touch with the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee regarding the return of Chiles’ bronze.
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