USA Gymnastics Supporting Chiles

The drama in the world of gymnastics has reached a boiling point, and all eyes are on USA Gymnastics as they battle to keep Jordan Chiles' bronze medal in the floor exercise at the Paris Olympics. This story is packed with twists and turns, so let’s break down what’s happening.

First off, here’s the situation: Jordan Chiles, a star of the U.S. gymnastics team, was originally placed fifth in the floor exercise at the Olympics. However, after an inquiry by USA Gymnastics, her score was bumped up by 0.1 points, which moved her into third place, earning her a bronze medal. This adjustment pushed Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu off the podium, dropping her from third to fourth.

Naturally, this score change didn’t sit well with the Romanian Gymnastics Federation. They filed a complaint with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), arguing that the inquiry by the U.S. team was submitted after the deadline set by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).

CAS reviewed the case and ruled that the inquiry was indeed late—by a mere four seconds—and decided that Chiles’ score should revert back to its original 13.666, stripping her of the bronze medal.

But USA Gymnastics didn’t back down. On Sunday, they issued a statement claiming that they had new video evidence showing that Head Coach Cecile Landi had actually made the inquiry within the FIG’s one-minute deadline.

According to USA Gymnastics, the video proves that Landi requested the inquiry just 47 seconds after Chiles’ score was posted, which should have made the inquiry valid. They also stated that a second request was made at 55 seconds. This evidence wasn’t available during the initial CAS ruling, which has led USA Gymnastics to push for a reconsideration of the decision.

USA Gymnastics has formally submitted this new evidence to CAS, arguing that the bronze medal should be reinstated to Chiles. They believe that critical errors were made, not only in the original scoring but also in the appeal process that followed.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is backing this appeal, firmly stating that Chiles rightfully earned her medal and that the errors need to be corrected.

This back-and-forth has created quite a stir, especially with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) previously stating that Chiles should return her medal. The situation has left many fans and athletes on edge, waiting to see how it will all play out.