Years of dedication, months of sacrifice, weeks of pushing through the pain, and days of anticipation for a matter determined in seconds. That is what goes into winning an Olympic medal. After this incredible journey, one would be on cloud nine from having a tangible medal representing their hard work. But what about the other side of the spectrum and the gut-wrenching pain of having an Olympic medal stripped for no fault of their own? This scenario is the case of American gymnast Jordan Chiles.
During the qualification round of the Paris Olympics, Chiles earned her spot in the floor exercise final. She performed amazingly, fighting until the last second for a shot at a medal. As the final gymnast to compete, Chiles would know her rank immediately after being scored. Chiles received 13.666, earning fifth place behind Romanian gymnasts Ana Bărbosu and Sabrina Manteca-Voinea. Despite the two Romanian gymnasts having an identical score of 13.7, Bărbosu ended in third place, earning a bronze medal due to her higher execution score. She celebrated on camera and got her flag ready for the medal ceremony.
Following the “solidified” medal standings, something unpredictable took place. Chiles’ coach, Cecile Landi, inquired about her score with the judges, believing her difficulty score was lower by one-tenth than it should be. Within minutes, her score was increased to 13.766, bumping her into third place. Cameras surrounded Bărbosu, who covered her face and sank to the ground in tears, while Chiles got emotional over winning her first-ever individual Olympic medal.
A few days after the floor final, the Romanian coaches appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, requesting that all three women (Chiles, Bărbosu, and Manteca-Voinea) receive a bronze medal since the mistake was of the judges and not the athletes. They requested this partly because of the unjust deduction Manteca-Voinea, who earned fourth place, faced for going out of bounds despite the camera showing that her heel never crossed the line.
On Sunday, August 11, 2024, The Court of Arbitration for Sport declared the ruling that its investigation showed that Chiles’ Coach, Cecile Landi, filed an inquiry four seconds later than the allotted one-minute time period, rendering the inquiry void. They have denied the request to give Manteca-Voinea a medal due to the rule that you cannot appeal execution scores. This decision puts Barbosu back in third place and reverts Chiles’ score to its initial value of 13.666. The Court expects Chiles to return her bronze medal to Bărbosu.
Chiles responded to this unfortunate incident with a message that she would be taking a break from social media to prioritize her mental health. Several prominent American gymnasts shared their support for Chiles and their disgust at how the committee is playing with the emotions of these athletes. Many fans have also posted that the three athletes should be given bronze medals for their brilliant performances.
The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee attempted to send an appeal back to the Court of Arbitration for Sport with new evidence showing that, in reality, Coach Landi submitted her inquiry at forty-seven seconds rather than the one-minute four seconds. However, the Court rejected the appeal and finalized that Chiles would have to give her bronze medal to Bărbosu.
Chiles, Bărbosu, and Manteca-Voinea are all talented athletes, and it is an unimaginable feat to have performed as they did. Although an Olympic medal holds immeasurable value, this incident reminds us that a true champion does not always have a medal around their neck, considering how these three athletes have responded to the situation and continue to work hard.
Works Cited
Bailey, Chelsea. “Everything to Know about the Controversy over Jordan Chiles’ Olympic Bronze Medal.” CNN, Cable News Network, 15 Aug. 2024, www.cnn.com/2024/08/12/sport/jordan-chiles-bronze-olympics-controversy-explained/index.html.
Staff, NBC Chicago, and Associated Press. “Why Was Jordan Chiles Stripped of Bronze Medal? What to Know as Romanian Gymnast Gets It.” NBC Chicago, NBC Chicago, 16 Aug. 2024, www.nbcchicago.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/why-was-jordan-chiles-stripped-of-bronze-medal-what-to-know-as-romanian-gymnast-gets-it/3524009/.
TodayShow. “Romania’s Ana Barbosu Receives Bronze Medal in Ceremony after IOC Stripped Jordan Chiles of Win.” TODAY.Com, TODAY, 16 Aug. 2024, www.today.com/news/paris-olympics/jordan-chiles-bronze-medal-controversy-rcna166095