Jordan Chiles Says Panel’s Call For Her To Return Olympic Bronze Is ‘Unjust’ And ‘Significant Blow’

In a message shared on social media Thursday, American gymnast Jordan Chiles termed an arbitration panel’s decision to remove her from the bronze medal position in the floor exercise at the Paris Olympics “unjust” and a “significant blow”.

Following the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s judgement, the International Olympic Committee declared that the bronze medal will be reallocated to Ana Barbosu of Romania. Barbosu is set to receive the medal on Friday during a ceremony in Bucharest.

Jordan Chiles Says Panel’s Call For Her To Return Olympic Bronze Is ‘Unjust’ And ‘Significant Blow’

Chiles initially finished fifth in the eight-woman final before Team USA coach Cecile Landi challenged her score, requesting credit for a maneuver that would have increased her score by.1. The appeal was granted, putting Chile in third place. She was awarded bronze and participated in the medal ceremony after the competition.

Romania successfully objected to the CAS that Landi’s appeal was not filed within one minute of Chiles’ score being posted, and the panel determined on Saturday that Barbosu should receive the bronze. The International Gymnastics Federation reinstated the original order of finish, and the IOC announced on Sunday that Barbosu would receive the bronze medal.

“I have no words,” Chiles stated in an Instagram post. “This judgement feels unjust and is a big blow, not only to me, but to everyone who has supported my quest. To add to the pain, unprovoked racially motivated insults on social media are wrong and highly cruel. I’ve poured my heart and soul into this sport, and I’m really pleased to represent my culture and nation.”

USA Gymnastics has stated that it will continue its efforts to allow Chile to preserve the medal. The sport’s governing body in the United States disputes Romania’s assertion that Landi’s appeal arrived 4 seconds too late, stating on Sunday that it provided video evidence to CAS demonstrating Landi’s first appeal 13 seconds before the deadline.

On Wednesday, CAS released a detailed account of how it reached its decision, noting that USA Gymnastics did not express any concerns about the timekeeping system during the hearing — which USA Gymnastics was given less than 24 hours to prepare for due to clerical errors by CAS that sent notifications to the wrong email address — and that Landi stated her request for an inquiry was granted “immediately.”

Jordan Chiles Says Panel’s Call For Her To Return Olympic Bronze Is ‘Unjust’ And ‘Significant Blow’

The 23-year-old Chiles, who will resume competition in January when she begins her junior year at UCLA, has also faced social media insults, some of which are racially charged, which she describes as “wrong and extremely hurtful.”

“I am now confronted with one of the most challenging moments of my career,” Chiles wrote on his Facebook page. “Believe me when I say I’ve had several. I will address this situation as I have others, making every effort to see that justice is served. I think that at the conclusion of this journey, the people in charge will make the right decision.”

SOURCE | AP