Why Jordan Chiles Is Being Forced to Return Her Bronze Medal Amid Olympics Drama

Jordan Chiles has been stripped of her bronze Olympic medal by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), who just ruled that the medal will go to Romanian gymnast Ana Bărbosu. This shocking decision comes six full days after Jordan made history alongside Simone Biles (who won silver) and Rebeca Andrade (who won gold) as part of the first all-Black Olympic gymnastics podium. Here's what happened and how Jordan, her family, and Team USA are responding.

Jordan Initially Medaled in the Women's Individual Floor Exercise

Jordan's initial score was 13.666, but U.S. gymnastics coach Cecile Landi challenged the difficulty score specifically, and—following review—Jordan's final score was bumped up by 1/10 of a point to 13.766, earning her bronze.

This meant Ana Bărbosu didn't medal, and the Romanian team wasn't thrilled. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said in a Facebook statement, “I decided not to attend the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics, following the scandalous situation in the gymnastics, where our athletes were treated in an absolutely dishonorable manner. To withdraw a medal earned for honest work on the basis of an appeal, which neither the coaches nor the top technicians understand, is totally unacceptable!"

Meanwhile, Jordan told CBS Mornings, "There were so many emotions going through my body in that moment... It was a surreal moment … I saw the score change and I was just like 'What is going on? Is this real? Is this happening?' I was just, again, in that moment just very happy and obviously happy for the other athletes as well."

A Court of Arbitration Said Team USA's Appeal Came Too Late

Team Romania questioned Team USA's initial appeal on the grounds that it allegedly came too late, and CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) ruled that the inquiry was filed "beyond the 1-minute deadline."

Following the CAS decision, Team USA released a statement saying, "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."

"Throughout the appeal process, Jordan has been subject to consistent, utterly baseless and extremely hurtful attacks on social media," the statement continued. "No athlete should be subject to such treatment. We condemn the attacks and those who engage, support, or instigate them. We commend Jordan for conducting herself with integrity both on and off the competition floor, and we continue to stand by and support her."

The IOC Agreed With the CAS Ruling

The IOC said it would abide by the CAS's decision, saying in a statement on Sunday, August 11, "Following the CAS decision with regard to the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Floor Exercise Final and the amendment of the ranking by the International Gymnastics Federation, the IOC will reallocate the bronze medal to Ana Bărbosu (Romania). We are in touch with the NOC of Romania to discuss the reallocation ceremony and with USOPC regarding the return of the bronze medal.”

Team USA Is Planning to Appeal

The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee issued an additional statement on Sunday, saying, “We firmly believe that Jordan rightfully earned the bronze medal, and there were critical errors in both the initial scoring by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the subsequent CAS appeal process that need to be addressed."

They added, "Given these circumstances, we are committed to pursuing an appeal to help Jordan Chiles receive the recognition she deserves. We remain dedicated to supporting her as an Olympic champion and will continue to work diligently to resolve this matter swiftly and fairly.”

Jordan Is Taking a Break from Instagram, and Her Family Has Spoken Out

Jordan announced that she was taking a break from social media for her mental health as she awaited the IOC's decision yesterday.

Simone Biles also spoke out with a message of support for her teammate:

Meanwhile, Jordan's sister issued a statement about the racism Jordan has faced since winning bronze. She also noted that Jordan's bronze was stripped over "4 seconds of time that would have never needed to happen if the judges did their job."

We'll be updating this story with news as it breaks.

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