Courtesy of ABC News
According to the podium at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, the gymnasts awarded medals in the women’s floor exercise final were Rebeca Andrade with the gold, Simone Biles with the silver, and Jordan Chiles with the bronze. This iconic podium, immortalized by the image of Biles and Chiles bowing to Andrade as she stepped up to be given the gold, was the first podium in Olympic gymnastics to feature all Black athletes.
This podium would get shaken up and become historic in a different way, one riddled with confusion and controversy.
For the individual event finals at the Olympics, if gymnasts and their coaches want to submit an inquiry to the judges, they have four minutes. In the inquiry, only the difficulty part of the score (not the execution) can be challenged and has the potential to change, which means coaches will look for parts of the routine where skills weren’t valued at the level of difficulty they think they should’ve been or connection of skills weren’t awarded.
The last gymnast to compete in an event, though, only gets one minute to submit an inquiry. By luck of the draw, Chiles was the last gymnast to compete in the floor exercise final. After her score was flashed, her coaches submitted an inquiry for credit on her Gogean, a split leap with a 1.5 turn. While initial scoring reflected that Chiles did not get the dance skill around completely, her coaches thought she did and could get her score raised by 0.1 points. The inquiry was successful, moving Chiles from fifth place and into third, subsequently winning her the bronze medal.
This isn’t the first time this has happened at the Olympics. At the 2012 London Olympics, Aly Raisman was the last gymnast to compete in the balance beam final. Raisman initially finished in fourth place, with Romania’s Cătălina Ponor slated for the bronze medal, but after an inquiry made by Raisman’s coach, Raisman’s score was raised and she was awarded the bronze. From that moment, and still to this day, Raisman is recognized as the 2012 Olympic balance beam bronze medalist.
What’s different about the 2024 women’s floor exercise final is all of the changes, and lack of clarity and proper accountability surrounding said changes, after Chiles was already awarded the bronze medal. With an appeal made by Romania to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, it was found that Chiles’ coach submitted the inquiry four seconds after the one minute mark, meaning the inquiry was nulled. This meant that the bronze medalist, and the gymnast recognized as the bronze medalist, would be Romania’s Ana Bărbosu.
Film crews for Simone Biles’ docuseries Simone Biles Rising were on the floor at the Olympics, and reportedly have evidence, though, that shows Chiles’ inquiry was submitted within the one minute mark.
Despite USA Gymnastics presenting evidence to the Court of Arbitration for Sport showing that the inquiry for Chiles’ routine was submitted within the one minute, their appeal to reopen the case was denied. USAG and Chiles’ team continue to fight to give Chiles her proper recognition as an Olympic bronze medalist, and Chiles has filed an appeal with the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland.
There are many questions that have gone unanswered, and should continue to be brought into conversation. If the inquiry was late, why did the judges allow it to be submitted? How is four seconds too late but making a change five days after the medal ceremony not? Why is Chiles facing more punishment than the judges? Why is Chiles facing more punishment than athletes who have cheated? If her medal was already awarded, how can her title then be stripped? Why can’t Chiles and Bărbosu just share the bronze medal in light of a mistake made by judges?
While there still has not been any clarity in the situation, in an interview last week with USA Today, Jordan Chiles opened up for the first time about what she has experienced since getting her bronze medal title taken away.
Chiles, who was nervous to do the interview, said, “It’s been really, really hard just to comprehend everything that’s been happening. I’ve been able to finally now feel comfortable in a way to talk about what has been happening [...] And to everybody that’s been supporting me and lifting me up in millions of different ways, I say thank you all the time. And it’s just been a different time for myself, and I’m ready to speak on my truth.”
As a result of the lack of accountability by the judges, and lack of recognition of the error in timing, if there was one, being on the judges, Chiles has faced racism and harassment as a result of the changing in scores and bronze medal title.
Chiles, a gymnast known for showing off her personality in competitions and cheering on the sidelines in a previously very strict gymnastics environment, has remained calm and humble despite facing so much negativity and adversity.
While Chiles cannot talk about what her team has in development, we can still continue to support and uplift the incredible athlete she is and the sportsmanship she continues to present through everything.
Catch Chiles back on the competition floor and cheer her on with the UCLA Bruins this upcoming NCAA gymnastics season.
Courtesy of USA Gymnastics
Edited by Giana Robertaccio
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