In a twist that rocked the gymnastics world, American gymnast Jordan Chiles may be forced to return her Olympic bronze medal in the floor exercise after a ruling from the Center of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The controversy stems from a decision that her score must revert to its original mark because the U.S. team did not file an inquiry with the judges within the required timeframe.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has determined that Chiles must return her medal, although USA Gymnastics has launched an appeal, citing video evidence that shows her coaches made the inquiry in time.
As the gymnastics community waits for a final decision, Chiles has found herself at the center of an emotional storm. Over the weekend, she took to Instagram to express her heartbreak, writing that the situation left her feeling devastated.
But in her darkest hour, Chiles was not alone. Fellow Olympic champions Simone Biles and Suni Lee stepped forward to offer their unwavering support.
Simone Biles shared a heartfelt message on her Instagram stories, saying, “Sending you so much love Jordan. Keep your chin up, Olympic champ! We love you!”
Suni Lee voiced her support for Chiles as well, while also taking a jab at the Olympic officials involved in the controversy. “All this talk about the athlete, what about the judges?? Completely unacceptable. This is awful and I’m gutted for Jordan,” Lee wrote. “I got your back forever Jo. You have all my flowers and you will ALWAYS be an Olympic champion.”
Team USA also rallied behind Chiles, posting on X (formerly Twitter), “Forever THAT girl.”
If Chiles is ultimately stripped of her medal, she will become only the third gymnast in history to lose an Olympic medal. The other two athletes who faced this fate were China’s Dong Fangxiao and Romania’s Andreea Răducan, both of whom lost their medals from the 2000 Sydney Olympics due to different circumstances.
Răducan’s individual all-around gold medal was stripped after testing positive for a banned substance from cold-medicine pills provided by a team doctor, while China’s team all-around bronze was revoked after it was revealed that Dong was just 14 years old at the time, two years too young to compete.
As the world watches and waits for the final verdict, one thing is certain: Jordan Chiles has the full support of her teammates, her country, and fans worldwide.