Paris Olympics Strips U.S. Gymnastics Star Of Medal
Team USA had a lot of success at the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, the Olympic committee just gave one of their star medal winners some bad news. The IOC stripped Jordan Chiles of her bronze medal and awarded it to Romanian Gymnast Ana Barbosu instead.
Here is what happened and why Jordan lost her bronze medal.
Paris Olympics Committee Strips Jordan Chiles of Bronze Medal
Despite Team USA protesting the decision, a judge for the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled in favor of two Romanian gymnasts and stripped U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles of her bronze medal in the Floor event.
Romanian gymnasts Ana Barbosa — who had initially won bronze — and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea petitioned that Chiles was incorrectly awarded the third-place spot and the bronze medal in the Floor finals on August 5. Five days later, the decision came and ruled in favor of the Romanian gymnasts. Jordan’s bronze medal will be reallocated to Barbosa.
The CAS ruled that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) would determine how to redistribute the medals.
Jordan had never won an individual medal before, so this was to be her first. Based on the judges’ initial scoring, she finished the event in fifth place. Team USA coach Cecile Landi issued a successful inquiry into the decision and protested the difficulty score had been too low. She specifically pointed out a particular leap.
The judges reviewed the event and agreed. They changed Jordan’s score from 13.666 to 13,766, which moved her into third place and the bronze medal position. However, Romania protested and pointed out a technicality.
Why Did The Judges’ Decision Get Reversed At Paris Olympics
The protest was based on mere seconds. Cecile Landi submitted the inquiry in one minute and four seconds. The rules state coaches have only 60 seconds after the event ends to submit an inquiry. As a result, they voided the decision. Barbosu received the Bronze Medal despite having a lower actual score on a technicality.
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For their part, the Romanian Olympic committee knew their athlete didn’t win the Bronze Medal based on actual scores. They asked that all three be allocated a Bronze Medal so there would be no doubt about the actual results in the future. The CAS ruling chose to ignore that and gave the Bronze Medal to the Romanian gymnast on a technicality.
Team USA Gymnastics released a statement showing their disappointment (via PEOPLE). “We are devastated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling regarding women’s floor exercise. The inquiry into the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles’ floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believed, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring.”
For her part, Jordan Chiles has removed herself from social media to take some time for herself for mental health reasons.
What are your thoughts on Jordan Chiles being stripped of her Bronze Medal at the Paris Olympics due to a technicality rather than the actual scoring? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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